Colors
by Violet Petunia
Summary: With a broken mother and an abandoning father, who else is there to turn to?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey guys! This is Violet. This is my very first story, so I'm still a newbie at this. Sorry if this chapter is kinda short, I'll try to make them longer. Drop a review if you have time :)**

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Chapter 1

"Mom?"

She looks up at me while sitting on the couch, eyes rimmed with red. A few crumpled tissues lay beside her.

"Mom," I repeat. "I'm going outside. For a walk."

I stand there; waiting for her to say something, do something. But all she does is stare at me for a few seconds, blinks, then looks away. Like if I were a stranger, some 14-year-old girl who happens to look like the man she loved.

Feeling my throat clench up, I walk over to the closet to get my wool sweater, pull it on, and walk out the door. As I walk outside, the houses in my neighborhood blur in my peripheral vision, I feel the tears come. My legs move faster and faster, until I'm speed walking. Jogging. Running.

Soon the houses are gone and now I'm right by my elementary school. I run my hands over the blue walls with peeling paint.

**Blue.**

Blue is the color of the bottle of my dad's favorite cologne. Blue is the color of my mom's eyes, when they still had that sparkle every time hers would meet my dad's. Blue is the color of the picture frame, the one with the picture of us from the time we had a picnic in the woods.

Speaking of the woods, I see it from the place I'm standing. Walking up to it, I breathe the smell of pine. I gaze down at the ground and see many green pine needles with the occasional pinecone.

**Green.**

Green is the color of my dad's eyes, which was passed down into my own. Green is the color of the recliner my dad would sit on while watching the evening news. Green is the color of the emerald on my mom's wedding ring, the one my dad had given her all those years ago.

I look back up from the ground to the sky, noticing that the sun is setting and that I can actually see some stars now. The temperature gets colder as the sun starts disappearing from view, and I'm suddenly grateful I brought my wool sweater. I go at a slow pace now, hearing my steps crunching. Before I know it it's night, and crickets chirp around me, creating their own musical. Chirp… chirp… snap!

I twitch as I hear a twig snap behind me, and I quickly turn around, my hair whipping my face. There, before me, is a man. First thought that comes to mind is how tall he is. The second one comes along when I look higher and realize he has no face. He just stands there, and so do I. I haven't even noticed until now that the crickets stopped chirping. He seems to blend in with the darkness, considering his black suit.

**Black.**

Black is the color of my dad's hair before it started graying these past few months. Black is the color of the laptop he has been typing away in more and more. Black is the color of the marks he had under his eyes that showed lack of sleep.

I look up at the man's head again, taking in the detail more, now that my eyes got used to the dark. Where eyes are supposed to go, there are slight indents. There's a curve, a graceful one in my point of view, which marks where the nose belongs. However, I see nothing where the mouth is usually located. On top of all that, he is shockingly pale, his white skin looking as bright as the full moon in the sky.

**White.**

White is the color of my dad's teeth, which he started clenching more often. White is the color of those pills he started taking, the ones for depression. White is the color his face would get after a heated argument, when they thought I was sleeping, not eavesdropping on the staircase.

My throat clenches up yet again, and my vision blurs. This time, not just in my peripheral vision, but all of it. More memories of my dad continue to rush in my head. I just can't stop them. I subconsciously clench my teeth along with my fists. The man in front of me just stands there, not moving since I saw him… 10 minutes ago? 30? An hour? I don't know. I look over his formal attire, which is blurry though my tears. His red tie seems to stand out, though.

**Red.**

Red is the color of the dress shirt my dad had the day he left. Red is the color of the sports car he drove away in, the one that he always bragged about. Red is the color of the ink he used when he signed the divorce papers.

My tears involuntarily cascaded down my face at that thought, instantly trickling down my cheeks. Choked sobs come out, disrupting the silence that hung in the atmosphere. I bow my head down, closing my eyes. My shoulders shake slightly as my bottled up emotions from the past few days make themselves known. After a minute of crying, I hear movement in front of me.

I look up, seeing that the man moved. In fact, he's holding a hand out to me. I look down the inhuman length of his arm, until I reach his palm. His long bony fingers are open as he offers his hand. I contemplate within my mind as I gaze for a few seconds. I take it.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you sooo much to everyone who viewed this story, especially those who reviewed! Didn't want to keep you guys waiting, so here's the next chapter. Reviews are very much appreciated :)**

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Chapter 2

Hand in hand, this mysterious man and me walk to an unknown location. Well, at least for me. He knows where he's going. I see it in his stride, the way he walks with purpose. Out of the corner of my eye I look at his long, spindly legs take one step after another. On the other hand, I have to walk briskly if I want to keep up with this lumbering giant. The sound of my quick petite steps accompanies the sound of his slow, graceful ones.

The cold air nips at whatever exposed skin I have while my breath comes out in little puffs. Although he lacks a coat to keep himself warm, the man doesn't look cold in the slightest. As my small hand grips his much larger one, I notice he isn't either warm or cold. It's more of a… neutral temperature. He probably has gotten used to temperatures as low as these for such a long time, and eventually adapted, I conclude. He doesn't even look like a human anyways, most likely isn't one. He looks more like an oversized mannequin. The corners of my lips slightly curl up as I try to imagine him in that mall my mother and me always went to.

I think suddenly of my mother weeping back in our tiny baby blue house. Is she still crumpled up on the worn out sofa, crying like there was no tomorrow? The image of the used tissues spread around her flashes to my mind. Perhaps she has gone to sleep already. Of course, if she were to sleep she would have done so on the couch. Ever since the day my father drove away, never to be seen again, my mother hasn't stepped in the room they once shared. One thing I know for sure is that she isn't worrying over me. In fact, she probably hates me, because I look so much like my father. She must not care at all for my well being, so I'm on my own now.

Speaking of my wellbeing, I should be wondering by now why am I going along with this strange, yet majestic man. I guess I'm so comfortable around him and even admire him because he reminds me a bit of my father. I bite my inner cheek at the depressing thought that he isn't around anymore. I glance over at his fancy clothes once more, before looking up at the blank canvas that makes up his head. I tilt my head to the side at the comparison between my father and the well dressed one.

There's a similarity already. My father always dressed properly, as if he always had some important event to attend. Even if we were doing something as simple as eating out, and I'm talking about something like a fast food restaurant, he would wear something overly formal. He had a collection of dress shirts with dress pants to go along, several suits, and a wide assortment of ties, including a red one that looks just like the one the tall man is wearing now.

Speaking of height, my father was very tall himself. Of course, not as tall as the man beside me, who isn't even human to begin with. My father's height, 6'11", gave him an aura of power. He looked like royalty, a king taken out of a children's storybook. Perhaps that's why I felt like a true princess when he picked me up and spun me around, my small frame shaking from all my giggling.

The sound of bubbling from a stream interrupted my train of thought as I felt Mr. High and Mighty stop his elegant form of walking. Feeling his gaze on me, I look up at where his eyes would have been. I imagine real eyes instead of indents, and I can't help but imagine them the same shade of green as my dad's.

I'm guessing he was trying to grab my attention, because as I was looking at him, his arm lifted up, and one bony finger pointed towards the stream. I try to find specifically where the finger is pointing. All I see is rocks and a few underwater plants. Out of the blue, flashes of orange and red appear. I look closely, the moonlight as my only source of light, until I realize there are fish in the water. And not just any fish, but Koi, the types of ones that would swim around in the fish tank at my father's favorite Chinese restaurant. Another wave of sadness hits me, but I quickly shake it off. I stare in awe at the Koi, giant fish to go with the giant of the woods. They're not native here, however I assume he brought them here.

I can feel his gaze on me again, so I observe the scaled beauties for a moment more, then turn my sight to the silent mystery of a man. He tilts his head, as if contemplating to do something, focusing his gaze somewhere else. He then turns to me.

_I have been called the Slenderman._

My eyes widen in surprise, not processing what he just said. "Um, e-excuse me?"

_Slenderman._

My mental gears finally start turning after this revelation. I nod slowly, my eyes staring intently at him.

_What is your name?_

"My name…?" I say, not focusing entirely on the question because I'm too busy attempting to come up with a logical explanation on how we're communicating until I realize there is none. At least there is no human logic that can explain this.

He nods slowly, mimicking my previous actions, as if to say, "Who else's?"

"Ah! My name. Andrea. Andrea Castillo." I say quickly, to relive some of my personal awkwardness. When I said my dad is like royalty, I really did mean it. Our last name means "castle" in Spanish. When I was little, he told me how we were destined for riches, and how we would have our own palace and kingdom. I guess that was just another fairy tale.

_Andrea._

The man, Slenderman was what he said he was called, said my name slowly, as if to test out the feeling of pronouncing someone else's name. Now over my previous shock, I listen closely to the sound of his voice. It has deep tones as if showing off masculinity, yet is soft and smooth. Like… a hushed whisper.

_My pleasure to meet you, Andrea._

I smile. He's a true gentleman. "Nice to meet you too… Slenderman."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Wassup? I would like to clear up a few things just in case if anyone is wondering.**

**Numero uno: This most certainly will NOT be a romance. In case if you didn't get the clues from the chapters, Slenderman is more of a father figure. So... yeah.**

**Numero dos: Slenderman isn't a merciless demon who eats children's souls here. Sorry if you wanted that. I can write another story at a request if someone wants a not so peaceful Slenderman. But here, he's gonna be nice.**

**Numero tres: I'm not planning on making this a long story with a bunch of chapters. But if you want it to continue, then I'll make a sequel. Meanwhile, I can't give you a number of chapters, but it won't be a lot.**

**By the way, I forgot to put a disclaimer, though I think it's somewhat obvious... I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BUT THIS STORY AND MY CHARACTERS (OF COURSE I DON'T OWN SLENDERMAN. DUH.)**

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Chapter 3

I can't sleep. I lay awake in my bed, counting yet again the glow in the dark star stickers that my parents stuck on the ceiling of my room when I was little. There they stayed, over the years, and still glow if given the necessary exposure to light. I slightly smile when I see my father's attempt of making the Big Dipper. Besides the slight crookedness, it looks beautiful. Nearby, there lies my mother's attempt of the Little Dipper. To me, it looks just as beautiful. I may be kind of biased, considering they are my own parents, but I haven't heard anyone tell me otherwise.

Slenderman and me had a nice little chat, getting to know more about the other. In our introductions, he had mentioned that he wasn't human (as if I couldn't tell that already, but I didn't say that aloud) and explained how with his supernatural appearance came supernatural powers. When he mentioned teleportation, he said that I should be getting home, and that he could teleport me there. I accepted, and now here I am. Still awake at two in the morning.

Though my eyes are slightly drooping, and I yawn once in a while, the thoughts in my head keeping playing over and over again, not letting me get some shuteye. My amazement at this majestic creature of the forest, Slenderman, doesn't cease. I yawn again. How come during all my years of living in this area so close to the woods, the thought never came to me to actually explore it. I have gone hiking in it at least twice with my family and friends, but I never went camping. Maybe he only goes out at night. That makes plenty of sense, because if I were him, I would enjoy the peacefulness of nature, especially if there isn't a bunch of noisy people around.

This time, when I yawn, drowsiness starts to take over my buzzing mind. My energetic thoughts start to slow down, moving as slow as molasses. I look up at the stars through my closing eyelids. My eyes scan over the Big Dipper once more before my eyes fully close. My thoughts now come to a stop, shutting down with only one word left. Slenderman. Finally, there's nothing but blankness.

My ears pick up the sound of a songbird. Its melodies carry in the wind, through my open window, and into my room. I can feel the cool breeze on my tanned skin. Wait… a breeze? Through an open window? When Slenderman teleported us, we went directly in my room. None of the windows were open. My eyes snap open and I quickly scan the room for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing is out of place except that window that's opened just a crack. I look on the windowsill, and that's when I see it. A small white envelope lays there, with my name in neat cursive.

I get up from my lavender bed, and once going up to the window, snatch the envelope quickly, as if I had anticipated it for a long time. My eyes follow the elegant curves of black ink that spells out my name. _Andrea_. I turn the envelope over to open the seal. I curse inwardly when I make a small tear that went the wrong way. I pull out a white piece of paper as bright as the envelope. Written on it is a message written in cursive as well, not as fancy like the way my name was written, but neat nonetheless. It's a brief message, only a few sentences long. I bring the paper to eye level to start reading.

_ Greetings Andrea,_

_ I enjoyed your visit last night more than I could put into words. I haven't talked like that to someone for a rather long time. If you have the time, come to the woods at noon. There are much more things in the woods than the stream with the Koi, and it would be my pleasure to show them to you._

_Sincerely,_

_Slenderman_

I couldn't help but giggle a bit at Slenderman's formal way of writing. Sure, I may think formal too but the way I talk isn't so sophisticated. It's not like I swear, but I tend to use… smaller words. I read the message over one more time, then panic. What time is it? I rapidly look at my alarm clock on the nightstand beside my bed, and give a big sigh of relief when I saw it was 10 A.M. That leaves me two hours to spare. I might as well get dressed now. I put the letter back in the envelope and set it on my nightstand.

I dress into a simple white shirt with some jeans. I don't really care about what I wear, as long as it's not too flashy and doesn't attract too much attention. Some girls like to stand out and make a statement for themselves, and I do admire them. That was how my mother was like, but before this all happened. On the other hand, I get very uncomfortable if I'm in the spotlight. I feel better if I'm just blending in with the crowd, however boring that sounds.

I go down the stairs, my steps quieted by the beige carpet. I speed walk towards the kitchen to look for something to calm my morning hunger. My face changes onto the tiniest frown when I don't see my mother flipping a pan with a pancake. She isn't exactly a first class chef, but her food always makes my mouth water. Her specialty is pancakes, especially the blueberry pancakes I crave every morning. I sigh. I should be getting used to this by now, but I can't. I refuse. My mind isn't ready for this sudden and drastic change.

I grab a box of cereal from a cabinet and pour its contents into a bowl. I haven't even checked which cereal it was. I glance at the front of the box and see in big letters Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Not exactly my favorite, but it's fine with me as long as it satisfies me. My stomach rumbles in response. I roll my eyes at my body pleads for food. After filling it with milk, I bring the bowl back to the dining room.

The quietness of the room unsettles me a little, I must admit. My family would always eat together. I know several people who don't eat with their families, so I became thankful for the time spent with both of my parents. I'm an only child, so I have no siblings to chat with. Even with that in mind, I am, or was, home schooled, so I don't have many friends. In fact, I don't have any friends now. My only friend was this girl named Heather, who moved a month ago because her father is in the military. There was this other girl who would go often to the Starbucks I went to. I don't drink coffee, but my mother did. We would talk once in a while, but we weren't close enough to be called friends. Her name was Mary or Maria or something. Maybe it was Marian. Point is I'm not a very social person.

I finish my cereal and put it in the sink. I wash it by hand, and I leave it to dry. My depressed mother, still asleep on the couch, doesn't have the energy to do anything. She reminds me of those people in that commercial for the depression medicine. Depression hurts, Cymbalta can help. I pick up all the tissues and throw them away for her. I'm not disgusted of her, though I am a little disappointed. I don't want to be too harsh on her, but she really needs to cheer up. Life isn't over for her. I wish that she would realize that soon. I look at her sleeping form, her baggy eyes, her tangled up hair. I really do wish.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Chapter 4, check! I feel like the story is going kinda slow with no action whatsoever, but it's not like an adventure story or whatever. I'm gonna try to put more dialogue, or else all there would be in a chapter are Andrea's over descriptive thoughts, which may or may not be boring everyone. She rambles a bunch in her mind, so I'll get her to talk more.**

**I don't own Slenderman, but I do own this cereal bar I'm munching on right now.**

**Reviews are like the the chocolate fudge on my icecream. That pretty much means that I love reviews, so leave one if you have the time :)**

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Chapter 4

I glance at the clock hanging on the wall in the living room. It's 11:15 A.M. and it's a 15-minute walk to the woods, if I take my time. If I go right now, I'll still have half an hour left. After a minute or two debating with myself, I decide to go right now. After all, not counting last night when I ran to the woods in my tear filled rage, I haven't taken the time to take a quiet stroll in the woodland. I might as well do it now, when the sun is up. I'm sure Slenderman won't mind. He's too friendly to be yelling at me for getting there early. In fact, he must be overjoyed to see me again.

I furrow my bros when I come to the fact that our meeting would be in broad daylight. Wouldn't that be too risky? A nearby hiker might catch us. Slenderman better have a plan in mind, or else his existence will not be a secret anymore. I glimpse at the clock again. 11:20 A.M. Have I really been standing here for five minutes, lost in my thoughts? I shake my head, as if trying to get rid of these overwhelming thoughts. Well, better get going.

I slip on my mother's red converse. My mother and me have the same shoe size, so I can wear her shoes and she can wear mine. These shoes are barely used, and now that I come to think of it, I was the only one that used them. My mother liked wearing her sparkly heels more than these not so feminine shoes. I don't even know why it was hers to begin with. Perhaps it was a gift or something.

I take note of my surroundings and see all the small and cozy houses by the street as I walk by. I didn't even become aware of when I was shutting the front door. My thoughts ramble as I see some of the neighbors I know and love. I see Mrs. Miller; weeding the small patch of dirt she calls a garden in her front yard. She never did believe in pesticides, and always had her recycling bin crammed and her trash can almost empty. I want to wave at her, but her back is turned. A smile slowly works its way into my face when I hear her grumble beneath her breath. Must be another of those monster weeds, huh Mrs. Miller?

I see my old blue elementary school ahead of me. Before I was home schooled, which started when I was in sixth grade, I went to the ancient Oakwood Elementary School. Home of the Oakwood Squirrels. I always thought that a squirrel as a mascot was really stupid, but then again, it's an elementary school, so it fits at least. The flag of the United States is still, since there's no wind at the moment, not even the slightest breeze. I cut through the parking lot, and straight into the woods that were the reason the school was named that way.

I look at my wrist out of habit only to find out that I had left my watch back home. I turn around and I see the school's electric billboard. Lucky for me, it says the time and the temperature. The temperature is in the upper 60's, which feels okay to me, and it's 11:30. I do the math in my head and note that I got here in only ten minutes. I rushed here so quickly. The pine trees stand tall and strong while the daylight gives them a heavenly effect. I used to wonder why would the woods have a name such as Oakwood when there are pine trees. Turns out the woodland cover a massive area, and the only parts I've been that have pine trees are only a small section. The majority of trees in it are Oak trees.

"Hello?" I ask aloud, hoping Slenderman might hear me. "Slenderman? Are you here?"

The only sounds I can hear at the moment are the sounds of the birds, chirping their hearts out with their morning tunes. I don't hear even the tiniest sound that indicates that he's here. Not even a twig snapping like in my first, and only so far, encounter of him. Maybe I'm not loud enough? I clear my throat.

"Hello! I'm here! It's me, Andrea!" I shout. "You said to meet you here! In the woods! Remember?"

_I do remember, although I do remember precisely the time to meet. Do you?_

My eyes widen as I turn around in a full circle. But as my body does a 360˚, I don't see him at all. After my eyes were fully opened for a moment, I narrow them. Is he playing games with me? I thought that it said in his note that he was going to give me a tour of the woods or something like that. Not a game of hide and seek. I turn around again, before shouting a little louder.

"Where are you? It's kind of unfair that you see me, but I don't, you know. That's giving you an advantage," I complain, "Especially since you're all paranormal and stuff, and I'm just a pathetic little human. Totally sucks to be me, am I right?"

I blow a strand of hair away from my face and look back, only to see Slender man a few feet from me. I jump in surprise, then pout, my face clearly showing how annoyed I am. Slenderman chuckles.

_I don't think you are a "pathetic little human". Although, you are little. And a human, of course._

"I'm not that little! You're just so tall, it isn't even legit!" I respond, maintaining by pout. "I mean, you're freakin' 10 feet tall or something!"

This makes him chuckle even more. If he had a face, it would show an expression of amusement. He's probably smirking right now with his invisible mouth.

_No offense at all, but you have no sense of height. I am currently eight feet tall, although I can grow more._

To prove what he's saying, his limbs magically start increasing in length, making him impossibly tall. Then again, he isn't even human to begin with, so who knows what else this supernatural giant of the woods can do? My neck starts getting sore from having to crane it to even attempt looking at his head, as tall as he is.

"Uh, that's cool and all, but you're gonna have to shrink a bit so my neck won't snap."

_All right, little human, I'll shrink. We wouldn't want your neck to do that, now do we?_

I make a small huff when he called me "little human". I'm really not that short. I'm 5'3", and that's not short, right. Well, fine, I'm not the tallest person even, but at least I'm not a puny midget. My neck relaxes as he shrinks back to eight feet. Or did he shrink to seven feet? He's right; I do not have any sense of height whatsoever. Who knows, maybe my dad wasn't 6'11" after all? I never asked him, and now that I regret it, I feel my curiosity grow. How tall is he? I shrug off the thought when I notice Slenderman is staring at me, waiting for me to move. I probably look like a zombie.

_Are you ok?_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I sigh, "Just kind of lost in my thoughts."

_If you say so… Now that you're here early, and I'm not complaining at all, would you like to see some of the things I said I would show you?_

How could I say no to that? A grin splits my face, running from ear to ear.

"Of course! C'mon, let's go!"


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Chapter 5 already? Woah. I'm kinda considering what I said earlier about this story being short, and maybe if school doesn't bother me too much, I can make this longer than originally planned.**

**I don't own Slenderman and Slenderman doesn't own me.**

**Roses are red, Violets are blue, If you have the time, Please leave a review!**

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Chapter 5

Slenderman and me have been trekking in the woodland for a while without saying anything. Although the silence is comfortable, my curiosity kept on increasing with my desire to know more about this supernatural man. A soft breeze rustles the trees, making them appear to dance to the melody of the birds. The ones perched high in the trees continue their musical while I try to figure out where to begin my questioning.

"So… if you're not a human, what are you?"

He turns his head towards me at my idea of a conversation starter. He then looks down to the ground, as if the pinecones laying down there could provide him an answer. Right when I thought he wasn't going to say anything at all, he answers me.

_I… really don't know. One day I just appeared here, and that's all I know. I never have seen anyone like me. Humans have spotted me a few times and they called me Slenderman, so that's as much as an answer I can give you._

"Oh…" Is all I can say at the right now, my brain taking a few moments to process this. After I finally ingest this new piece of information, I smile brightly towards him.

"Hey, I think it fits you. You are pretty slender, after all," I look down at myself and poke my stomach. "Probably even more than me."

He laughed quietly at my complaint. Even his chuckles aren't even heard out loud. The only way I hear them is through my mind, with his deep voice resonating in my head.

_Proportionally, you may be right. However, if I were human, I would be considered too skinny to be healthy. You are rather thin yourself. Do you even eat enough food daily?_

I pout a bit at his first sentence, but when he asked me about my eating habits, I start to think. My mother was the main cook of our little family of three, so I don't really know how to cook. The only kinds of food I can make are things like ham sandwiches. Which isn't much, anyway. Cooking was never one of my strong talents. So when my mother sunk in deep with her depression, she stopped cooking altogether, so I ate less and less. Now, all I might eat in a day would be the ham sandwich. I look down at myself once again. Does it really show?

"Uh… not exactly. My dad can't cook, my mom won't cook, and I shouldn't cook. Cooking isn't really my thing. So that knocks off a bunch of my options. I really don't eat that much these days."

Slenderman gives me his undivided attention when I talk, soaking in every word I have to say. When I was done, he tilts his head the same way he did when he told me his name for the first time. He suddenly faces towards a direction and looks back at me.

_There's a cabin somewhere in that direction that has been abandoned, so I took the liberty of inhabiting it. It's approximately noon right now, about the time humans eat their lunch. We can go there and you can rest while I go get some human food, if that's fine with you._

He added that last part quickly. An afternoon with Slenderman sounds nice. I was about to accept his invitation right away until I remembered about my mother at home. Will she even bother to get up to eat something? I really don't want her going anorexic on me. Slenderman started to look a little nervous at my quietness, so I spoke up.

"That sounds nice, but my mom is at home and I want to check on her to see if she's alright. I'll come back once I'm done, ok?"

He takes this in, and nods. He holds out his hand, and I realize he's offering to teleport me there. I give him a small grin and take his hand. There's a small whoosh sound in the background, and the world around us blurs as if my eyes had gotten misty. It comes into focus, and there's my little blue house in front of me. I thank him; he nods, and then disappears without a word.

I become a bit anxious when I found out the front door was unlocked, worried that there may have been a robber. I let out a tiny sigh when the house looks normal. I look at the couch, but my mother isn't there anymore. I panic and run around the house until I see the bathroom door closed with the light peeking through beneath it. I give another sigh of relief, but it stops abruptly when I hear what my mother is doing. I listen to her gag again as sounds of vomiting are heard clearly.

"Mom! Are you ok?" I yell through the door, walking up to it and knocking on it when the door creaks as it opens a crack. I open the door fully to see my mother's frail form kneeling in front of the toilet with her hands gripping the sides of the toilet lid. Her knuckles are as white as the toilet itself.

I rush to her, holding her tangled hair out of the way and massaging her back with my other hand hoping it would comfort her in the slightest. One of her pale hands reach up and flush the toilet. There's a foul odor of puke in the air, but I ignore it and help my mother's trembling body up. She turns to me and slides down to the floor, her back leaning on the sink. Her breaths are small but quick, almost like if she just ran a marathon. I speak to her soft words to try to calm her racing heart. She breathes normally now and looks up to me.

"Andrea…"

Tears threaten to overtake me. I bite my lip almost to the point of making it bleed. Ever since the violent earthquake called a divorce shook our lives, she hasn't said anything to me. She gave no indication that she still spoke, no sample of her voice. Even her sobs were silent, only visible through her shaking shoulders. But now, not only did she say something, but also she said my name. My name. Andrea. Overjoyed to hear her voice again, I smile shakily.

"Mom…"

Her blue eyes stare deep into my own. Now that I take the time to look at her eyes, it's as clear as day that she was a very sad soul. Her eyes were bloodshot, puffy, and had the same black marks my father had. Overall, she looked tired and beaten down, a once strong woman brought down from her days of glory. She doesn't frown or smile, just stares at me with that neutral expression, a poker face she has perfected over the years. I offer her my hand like how Slenderman did for me, and I help her up again.

We walk to the kitchen, or rather, I walk and she shuffles her feet. I see some fruit on the counter, ones that I bought with my own money from the local supermarket. I take a ripe banana and offer it to her. I keep in mind that she just threw up, so she isn't in her best state now. A banana wouldn't be much, would it? She looks at it and shakes her head.

"Mom, you need to eat." I tell her, but she shakes her head again. She may not be as strong as before, but she still is just as stubborn. "All you vomited back there was stomach acid. Just eat the banana, it's not like it's going to hurt you."

She's about to refuse the banana once more until I start peeling it. Once peeled, I take her hand and place the banana in it. She sighs, out of being annoyed or tired I'm not sure, and starts eating it. I stand there with her until she finishes. She goes to the trashcan and throws the banana peel away. Satisfied with this, I go up to her and hug her. She tenses up, and only loosens a bit. She doesn't even wrap her arms around me. I frown, and I let go. I glance at the digital clock on the stove and notice it's 12:15. Remembering about Slenderman's offer, I decide to tell her I'm going out.

"Mom, a friend invited me over to his house to eat lunch, so I think I'll go right now, ok?"

She lifts an eyebrow, but nods. "I'll see you tonight, I suppose." Her voice has no emotion, and honestly it kind of creeps me out, but I nod back at her as a reply. I go to the front door and open it, making sure it's locked this time, and walk out. However, just when I was closing the door, I hear my mom mumble something that may or may not have hurt my feelings a bit.

"Friend?"


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hi! Sorry I couldn't update during the weekend. Homework + Weekend = Procrastinating and Staying Up All Sunday Night.**

**This is the part where I say I don't own Slenderman. Bet ya knew that already.**

**Review begins with R which comes before S which is the middle letter of AWESOME. So, reviews are awesome :D**

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Chapter 6

Pretty soon, I found myself in the woodland once more, looking for Slenderman. I figured I could try and call him, but I remember what happened last time and didn't want to look like a "pathetic little human" again. So I just walked. And strolled. And paced. And treaded. And all the synonyms I can think of right now. Subconsciously I started to whistle a tune that I can't remember the name of. I whistle the high notes, making my whistling sound a lot like the chirps that float joyfully in the atmosphere. I was probably so distracted by the symphony that nature set up that I no longer smell pine. When I look down at the ground, there are no more pinecones or pine needles. There are, however, many acorns and the multicolor leaves of the oak trees.

I look up to see the part of the woods I have been missing practically the entire time I lived here. I gasp quietly at the wide variety of colors that meets my eyes. There's a rich red, a shade of red that only Mother Nature herself can only provide. A warm orange made itself known, imitating the same orange of pumpkins that are pretty much in season. A vivid yellow is present, attempting to glow as bright as the sun high up in the sky now. Finally, there's green, those of the trees that have some catching up to do with autumn. Taking a small break, I lay down on the ground, not caring if my clothes get dirty, and I enjoy the marvelous art gallery this scene has provided.

A shadow falls on where I'm laying down. Well look who finally decided to show himself. The same deep chuckle vibrates in my head, and I look up to see Mr. Fancy Pants. I smirk when I see that he has the same elegant attire that he wore the last time. Does he even change clothes? My smirking face changes to a more curious look as I ponder this to myself. I just notice that I tilted my head to the right when I see Slenderman mimic my gesture.

_Why are you giving me that look?_

"What look?" I question, feigning innocence.

_The one you were giving me a second ago._

"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't just give people looks, you know," I shrug as I say this, "And as in people I do include you too."

_That's nice to know, but your body language says different. You don't have to tense up at my question._

"Okay, now I know you're cheating," I accuse, "You're just reading my mind or something, because you were just reading me like a book. Which is against the rules."

_Against the rules of what?_

"The Rules…" I let a dramatic pause linger for a moment, "of the Universe."

_Rules of the universe?_

"Yup. Don't forget "The". With a capital T. The Rules of the Universe."

_You still haven't answered my question, little one._

"Yeah, well… hey, don't call me that!" I whine, "I'm not little!"

_You are to me. Not important though. Stop avoiding the question._

"Okay, okay fine," I grumble, "Why do you always dress like that?"

_Like…_

"Like if you were some kind of aristocrat."

_That's a big word for such a little human._

"Now you're just being mean. You stop avoiding my question this time."

_I think these clothes are rather comfortable._

"Yeah, but, you had them last time and the time before that. Do you just wear them all the time and never change? What happens if they get dirty? Or are they supernatural just like you are?" I was going to continue my bombardment of questions, but Slenderman interrupted me.

_Take a breath, little one. Too many questions. Ask them one at a time. _

"All right. Number one!" I hold up my index finger, "Do you only wear those clothes?"

_Yes._

"What, really? Okay, number two!" Two fingers up now, "What happens if they get dirty? You do live here in the woods, after all."

_They don't._

"How do… anyways, three!" I wave my three fingers, "Are they some kind of paranormal clothes or something?"

_I think so; they haven't gotten torn or dirty at all._

"Well that explains everything."

_Good to know._

"I was being sarcastic. You just can't be explained that easily."

_I'm assuming that wasn't a compliment._

"It wasn't a complaint either. Well, maybe a little, but don't worry about it."

We just stayed there for a few minutes in silence, enjoying each other's company. No words had to be said, or at least in my case, since Slenderman doesn't talk aloud. Movement in my peripheral vision catches my attention. Look towards my left, I see a gray squirrel darting down a tree. I observe it as it eyes an acorn, and seeing no other squirrels within its range of sight, grabs the acorn and dashes up the tree again. I lose interest as soon as a couple leaves hanging on a branch cover my view of the little rodent.

_Do you want to see something?_

"Depends on what it is. Is it one of those places you said you were going to show me?"

_Yes… is there a problem?_

"Nope. Lead the way."

_Do you want to teleport?_

"Nah. I never been in these parts of the woods, so I want to soak it all in. If that makes sense."

_It does. Follow me, then._

The colors of the leaves remind me of fire. The vibrant reds, the sheen orange, and the brilliant yellows surround me as I trudge on, playing Follow the Leader with my woodland tour guide. We sauntered. We ambled. We hiked. And any more adjectives that English can provide me. I look up at the blue sky. There are several clouds everywhere, so I can't really say it's sunny with a clear sky. Despite the groups of clouds covering most of the sky, the sun's rays peek through the crevices, shining bright and proud.

I look at these woods' mysterious inhabitant directing me to wherever it is he wants to show me. I look at how tall he is and scrunch up my eyebrows. I'm pretty sure he's like seven feet… and a half. Probably eight feet. Maybe even eight feet and a half. I really don't know. If I'm 5'3", then he must be… oh never mind, I'm not going to get anywhere anyways. Slenderman continues with his stride, having to take his time because of what a "little human" I am.

I look up at the scenery and imagine what would it look like if I were to bring a chair, an easel, and my painting supplies, and begin to spread the tints and shades of the paint across the white surface. I would obviously use those colors that blend in so beautifully with the landscape. I daydream of my imaginary work of art while my legs go into autopilot mode.

The sound of rushing water reaches my ears eventually, and I focus on the location I have been brought to. My eyes widen as they are met with a stunning view of a waterfall. It's small compared to other waterfalls I have been to, but still tall as is. The sunlight strikes the flowing pristine water, creating a quaint rainbow. I recall my daydream of the painting earlier and change my mind. This is where I would paint the landscape. The delightful vista of the waterfall would be the perfect place. I step closer to it, raising my hand to touch the cool water spilling down to a small stream. There's no Koi this time, but it's perfect the way it is.

_Do you like it?_

"Like it? I… absolutely love it!" The wonderment of my voice is clear, "How did you find this?"

_Living here for a very long time has its benefits. Luckily, no humans were able to ruin it before I got here. I made sure it would stay this way._

"But, wouldn't someone eventually come and discover this place?"

_Several times that was about to happen. Good thing I was able to keep them away._

"Keep them away? How?"

_Apparently, my appearance can easily scare them away. The word friendly doesn't exactly come to their minds when they see me._

"You don't look scary to me," I declare, "You look different, but not frightening."

_Thanks for the confidence boost._

I laugh. "Looks like I'm not the only one sarcastic here, huh?"

_Wait a minute… that's right, you haven't seen them._

"See what?"

I thought that Slenderman, the supernatural occupant of the woods, couldn't possibly get any more interesting. I was wrong. Right before my eyes, I see not one, not two, but about six through eight tentacles waving in the air. The inky black tendrils seemed to have spring out of his back, and were radiating a stronger aura of supremacy. This would have scared most people, but instead this fascinated me. My eyes enlarged at this uncovered secret.

"Woah!" I exclaim in awe, "That is so cool!"

_You think so?_

"I know so!" I say, "Those people are scaredy cats."

He waves them around him, clearly enjoying my amazement.

"I bet I can do that," I claim, "Watch!"

I put on a face of determination as I attempt to do the impossible. Which is the opposite of possible. Which pretty much means I can't do it. After a while of my silly effort to do this, I relax my face.

"It takes practice," I cross my arms as I say this, "You just have to give it some time."

_I'm pretty sure you can do it._

Sarcasm drips from his words.

I brush off imaginary dust from my shoulder.

"Pffft. Whatever."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I'M SO SORRY D: I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS FOR A WEEK. Last week was one horrible mass of homework, bad internet connection, and people hogging computers. Not to mention I'm locked out of my ipod because iOS 7 needs to step up its game and not go all buggy.**

**Anyways.**

**I do not own Slenderman, Der Großmann, or The Operator.**

**Reviews to me are like chocolate to chocoholics. That speaks for itself.**

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Chapter 7

By this time we already were drifting away from what seemed like heaven on Earth. The sun lowered while we had our little talk. There were more clouds, making me wonder if there was going to be rain later in the day. I absent-mindedly picked a crimson red leaf from a low hanging branch. I held it in my hands, turning it and twirling it. When I felt a familiar gaze on me, I dropped the leaf letting it twirl down to the ground. I tuned to Slenderman and waited for him to speak.

_Is that the real color of your eyes?_

"Uh… what?" I ask, caught off guard at the question, "My eyes?"

_Yes, your eyes. They're a shade of green I haven't seen in human eyes before._

"Well, yeah, they're natural," I answer, "I got them from my dad!"

_They're a beautiful shade of green. They remind me of the pine trees close by. You got them from your dad, you say? You seem proud of the fact._

"I am," I confirm, smiling brightly, "I also got my hair from my dad too. So, no, I didn't dye it. Au naturel."

_You admire your dad._

"You're right, I admire him a lot. He is a wonderful guy and an even better father. Well, he was."

Truth is, I still do admire him. I know he abandoned my mother and me. I know that he took his work more seriously than his family. And yes, I know that he rode off in his car, never to be seen again, at least not wanting to. Some people would automatically hate their father if he was to do that, but I can't. It has been so recent that I can't abhor him. I still love him, and although he might not love me anymore, despite his strong traitorous act, he will always be on my mind and in my heart. That might sound a little cheesy, but there's no other way of saying it.

Slenderman seemed a little uncomfortable with the "he was" statement, yet he decided to leave it alone. There's an awkward silence between us right now, making me shift from one leg to the other. I'm not the best conversation starter, but I'll try something.

"So…"

_So._

Well that went well.

I take a moment to observe the abnormal qualities of Slenderman. A lot of questions really do come to mind when I see him. My brain is overloading with all the curiosity I have. Other than his appearance, his personality, the way he acts, it's just so… unnatural. That is, unnatural comparing him to humans. He has an air of mystery. An aura of the unknown. I can't explain it in thoughts, much less words, but it's like he is from a different universe. Almost alien. For all I know, he could be.

_You're staring at me again._

"Huh?" I mumble, acting like an idiot. Dang thoughts rambling again.

_You're giving me the same look from before._

"I was lost in my thoughts. Problem?"

_I wasn't accusing you of anything._

"Yes you were! Don't lie, you said I was staring at you."

_That's not accusing._

"According to… The Rules Of The Universe! It is."

_Again with those rules of yours._

"Don't disrespect the Rules Of The Universe. They are the ultimate rules that have ever existed. Ever. Period, end quote."

_They're only rules you have been making up. But let's not get off topic. Is it another question about my appearance? Does it really bother you that much?_

"N-no! I'm just super curious. All right, here's my question. How old are you?"

_How old am I?_

"I'm pretty sure that's what I said."

_I don't know._

"C'mon, just give me a general number. Or something. Just give me something to work with here."

_I lived for a very long time, compared to humans of course. Perhaps, a few centuries? Possibly longer._

I blink. And blink again.

"Wait… what?! A few centuries? You're old! Like, ancient! Older than ancient! Woah!"

_Therefore, you should respect your elders. Not those silly rules of yours._

"First of all, it's the Rules Of The Universe. Second, give me a break. That doesn't give you a right to bully me all you want and me not being able to defend my self as a pathetic human."

_You're making it sound more dramatic than it is. And no, I will not be bullying you as you say._

"But you do! You call me a little human! That's bullying because it hurts my feelings, you know! That's lowering my self confidence."

_If that hurts your feelings, then I don't know what wouldn't._

"Now you're really bullying me. In purpose."

_Sounds like you're being sensitive._

"Sensitive? Nah, I'm tough. Tough as nails. I'm like superman, because I'm made of steel. Bulletproof."

_What happened to all the 'you hurt my feelings' episode?_

"You're just making things up now. My feelings were hurt? Puh-lease. Yeah right."

_You don't make sense._

"And neither do you."

_Oh, I do make sense, your little human mind just can't comprehend it._

"Now you're calling my mind little? That's a bit unfair, am I right? What about you? Judging by the size of your head, your mind doesn't look much bigger than mind."

_Incorrect. I don't rely on a measly organ to control my thought process. I don't need such things. My body can do fine without those._

"Because you're all supernatural," I interrupt him, "I get it. You don't have to stuff it in my face. Geez."

_I'm sorry, have I hurt your feelings again, Miss Tough As Nails?_

"Oh snap, Mr. Respect Your Elders just got sassy. Watch out everyone!"

An exhausted sigh echoes in my head as Slenderman's shoulders slouch a little.

_You tire me, little one._

"Oh yeah? Well you tire me!"

Right after that went out my mouth I swear he gives me a look that says "Yeah right." That kind of look like when people lift one of their eyebrows. The one my mother gave me when I left home. My stomach clenches up at that flashback. What was up with her? Why did she start acting as grumpy as she did? I frown on the inside, but it must have shown in the outside too, because Slenderman tilted his head. I can feel his deep concern for me.

_Are you okay?_

"Yes."

_No you're not._

"Then why did you bother asking?" I snap at him.

Silence.

I now realize that I probably yelled at him too harshly, and I feel bad. Guilt gnaws at my insides.

_Andrea._

My eyes widen as Slenderman calls me by my name. I tilt my head until I can see his head, which is really high.

_I'm going to ask for your permission for this._

"For… what?"

_Something deep inside is troubling you, and it is concerning me. You don't have to permit me, but I wish to look in your mind to comprehend what is going on._

It takes a moment for my mind to take in what he's saying. Not to mention the seriousness of his tone. I contemplate this with myself. Do I really trust him? I… do. I really do. Despite the fact that we just met last night, I trust him. Sure, he reminds me a lot like my dad, but it's more than that. He's like a friend I had my whole life. A trustworthy one. So with that, I simply nod, not saying a word. Until a question pops in my mind.

"Will it hurt?"

_No, you'll just feel my presence in your mind. In fact, you already felt most if my presence in your mind._

When I think about it, I realize he's right. When I felt the concern from him, it wasn't in the form of words. Our mental connection is so strong that I began to feel what he feels. I nod again.

He nods in response, and with that, he starts reading my mind. Literally. Like a book. And now, there's suddenly a different conscious in my mind. It's roaming around in my brain, going through my mental files. Trust is the keyword here. It takes a lot of trust to let him go ahead and read my life story. Out of the blue, memories flash in my head. There's my father, first the smiling one, the one that would give hugs and kisses to my mother and me. There's my mother too, the one who still wore her studded heels and her shiny jewelry. But then, the bad memories start. The laptop. The graying hair. The baggy eyes. It only takes a turn for the worse. The pills. The fights. The divorce papers. The car driving away. My mom's lifeless face.

My face is like as if the Hoover Dam broke. The waterworks keep on flowing. I can taste my salty tears streaking down my face. My sobs are silent, but my violently shaking shoulders give it all away. However, when a certain memory appears. I focus on it.

My tearful run to the woods replay in my mind as I relive the moment. Pretty soon, there's Slenderman, offering his hand to me. The thoughts pour out so fast I can't even process them properly. Chat. River. Koi. Teleport. Letter. Woods. Home. Mother. Vomit. Glare. Woods. Oak. Leaves. Slenderman. Waterfall. Rainbow. Perfect…

I'm back in the present. I'm still crying. My heart rate increased so much, it's like if I just ran for miles. My breaths are just gasps desperate for air. My body is trembling, limbs shaking. The blood rushes down, away from my face, probably turning it the same shade as Slenderman. These thoughts were too much. My head is buzzing. Ears are ringing. Vision is blurring. Slenderman… saying something? What are you saying? Hello? I can't hear you. Can you hear me?

Dark.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: *clears throat* ahem...**

_**I don't own Slender,**_

_**And I love to see reviews,**_

_**They make me smile.**_

**...and that was my little haiku from the poetry corner. You can start reading the story now.**

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Chapter 8

I am running through the grass. The grass feels soft, like a lush green carpet. There's nothing visible in sight, only fog in the distance. I look behind me to see that where I stepped, there are roses, some scarlet red ones. I continue my journey in the unknown, not knowing anything except the grass and the roses. And the fog, too. Grass, roses, fog. But now I see something far away. Sprinting, I go there in a rush, wanting desperately to know what it is. It's a tiny house that looks just like mine. Except it's yellow, the same shade as Heather's house. Hey, this is Heather's house, isn't it.

I'm right in front of the house now. I can see faint light coming under the door. The windows are closed, so I decide to try the door. I turn the doorknob and find it unlocked. I open the door, making it squeak slightly. I see a light bulb first, hanging on a wire. It shines dimly, but enough to see the walls. The thing is, there's only one room with a concrete floor and concrete walls. I thought that this was Heather's house? But the walls. It's the walls that give me a surprise.

It's printed all over the walls. In the dim light, I can't quite see the color. I want to say that it's black, but something in the back of my head is telling me it's a dark shade of red, the same color as blood. But it's covering up every inch of the walls. No, not only the walls, now that my eyes got used to the dark setting. It's on the ceiling, and on the floor. The same thing over and over again. The Operator Symbol.

I just noticed I entered the strange and terrifying room because of my shadow stretching across the floor. There's suddenly a sound that makes me jump as it startles me. I hear the concrete crack, like if something was breaking through. I quickly turn around, only to sigh a little in relief. The roses are very determined to follow my steps to the point of breaking through the hard floor. I feel comforted by the roses, probable because of the pretty flowers they are.

"Andrea."

I turn my head quickly to see my smiling parents. My mother is wearing a simple white dress and my father is wearing a white dress shirt with some black dress pants. He has a black tie on; its silkiness is reflecting the light. It's the same black as his hair. That's right, there's not a single gray hair. Though what scares me most is their smiles. They could be smiling because of happiness, but it could also be because of the mysterious, possibly evil, intention. I shiver a bit.

"Andrea," my mother coos, "did something happen? You look shaken up, sugarplum."

Sugarplum?

"Love," my father coos as well, "Why don't you give your daddy a hug, pumpkin?"

Pumpkin?

They open their arms wide, expecting me to be that little girl in the past that always ran into their arms. They may be stuck in the past, but I'm not. I look back at the roses only to find out that they had wilted, dropping their petals and only leaving their thorny stalks behind, which strangely look healthier than the rest of the dying flower. Looking at my parent's creepy grins again, I take a step back, then another. No roses this time covering my steps. Only their thorny stalks break through, curling in the air. I make a split-second decision. Fight or Flight. Flight is the best. I speed out of there, running back outside, reaching for the fog that may give me cover. I feel a strong heat behind me, and reluctantly, I glance behind me. Shock covers my face when I see that the house is on fire. Smoke is pouring through the now open windows. And out of it come out what I figure to be demons that look like my parents. They aren't my parents, no way, no how.

I panic when I see the orange flames reach for the grass and light it on fire. It's spreading now, burning the once verdant ground into a crisp. But now, the fire has turned green. That reminds me of an experiment I saw online. The chemistry of fireworks. Copper makes the flame green. I thought that it was the coolest thing ever. But not anymore now that the furious green fire is closing in on me. I dash into the fog, frantic to get away from the flames. I can smell the smoke and hear its wicked crackling…

I gasp loudly as I sit up quickly. It takes a while to calm my heart rate and to slow my breaths. After I finally get back to normal, I take note of my surroundings. It looks like I'm in some sort of log cabin. I still hear a fire crackling and I look in the general direction of the sound. It's a fireplace with glowing orange flames this time. Its warmth extends throughout the room, including me. Besides that, I have a fuzzy brown blanket over me, keeping me toasty. I'm sweating a lot, because of the heat or because of my nightmare, I don't know.

Feeling well rested, I get up and stretch my arms. I twist around, cracking my back. I look around in this area for any windows, and finding one, walk up to it. Outside are the woods, and the sky is dark. I see the moon and the stars, gleaming down. I'm in the woods? When did I get here? My mind is disoriented, not providing me with anything.

_I see you woke up._

The memorable voice sounds in my head. I don't even have to know who it is, but I do anyways. I see a familiar face, or rather, non-face. If that's even a word. But when I see him, my brain finally recollects itself and a torrent of memories flood my head. I realize that the whole mind-reading thing must have severely exhausted me, making me pass out. I nod to confirm. Looking around the cabin again, I ask a question.

"Where are we?" My voice cracks a bit.

_It would seem like we are in a cabin._

I roll my eyes at his sarcastic comment.

"Well, is it yours?"

_Yes. It was abandoned, so I claimed it as my own._

"Now we're going somewhere," I state, "So what happened after… you know…"

_Andrea, I'm very sorry I wore out your mind. You see, I usually don't do this to someone who is fully conscious._

"That's okay," I reply, but then I notice the second part of his apology. "What do you mean 'usually'? You did this before?"

_How are you feeling? Does your head hurt?_

Wait a minute. Did he just ignore my question? Oh no, nobody ignores my questions.

"Don't side-step my question like that!" I scold him, "Did you do the whole reading people's memories thing before?"

_Yes._

"Did you ask for their permission?"

_It is still night. You should get some rest._

First he was paying no attention to my questions, and now, he's suggesting that I should get some rest? What the heck was up with him?

"Woah, woah, woah," I say, a little pissed off now, "Don't you dare suggest that I get some rest. Plus, you avoided my question again."

_You don't understand. Sometimes it's necessary._

"You're right, I don't understand!" I raise my volume a notch, "Explain! Believe me, I'll listen to it."

He sighs.

_All right, but don't interrupt._

I made the gesture with my hands that my lips are sealed.

_Remember when I said that I had to chase people away to preserve the forest?_

I nod.

_Some of them are quite stubborn. Plus, my appearance doesn't scare them away, and if I take out my tentacles they only stay away for a short while. So I had to use other techniques._

I lean in, curious to know what were these "other techniques".

_That includes the mind reading I performed with you. I follow them to their homes and wait until they are asleep. I then mind read to see what their intentions are, and if they're non-threatening, I don't bother them. However, if they really are bad, I won't hesitate to use my techniques._

I lean in the tiniest bit closer.

_That's why I don't ask for permission._

I nod, waiting for him to go on.

_The end…? What else do you expect me to say?_

"What are your other techniques?" I blurt out, "You didn't say them."

_That's another story for another day._

I pout, frustrated, but content that not only did he answer my question, but it was a logical answer too.

"But you can't leave me there!" I whined, "I have to know!"

_Give me one good reason why._

"Because it's in… wait for it…"

_That doesn't count, little one._

"I didn't even say it yet!"

_The Rules Of The Universe. I know, child._

"You finally said it right! And yes, that does count!"

_It's not a book or any reliable source. They're just rules you make up as you go._

"It will be! _The Rules Of The Universe_, by Andrea Castillo," I say with confidence, before adding, "Based on a true story."

_And who will be your publisher?_

He sounds amused.

"Um… how about you!" I suggest, "I'll thank you in that part where authors show their gratitude. 'And I would also like to thank Slenderman, for being my main inspiration.' See?"

_I'm you main inspiration? Is that even a compliment?_

"Maybe…"

_Whatever, little one._

I roll my eyes at his nickname for me. I'm pretty sure I'm a little taller, since when people sleep, their spines relax and they get taller. Something like that. Slenderman must sleep a lot. That is, if he sleeps, of course.

"Hey. I have another question."

_Hey. I may have an answer, depending on the question._

"Do you sleep?" I question, ignoring his response.

_No. You do though. It is still night. I recommend that you rest._

"I'm fine," I claim, "Stop saying that I should sleep, because I'm wide awake."

Maybe I jinxed it or the fates are just against me, because right after I say that, I yawn.

_Oh, sure. You are definitely wide awake._

"That was a fake ya…" I stop in the middle of saying yawn to yawn. Oh the irony.

_You need to sleep, Andrea._

"Okay, okay," I grumble, "I get the point."

I crawl on what I was sleeping before, which was a couch. A really long one. Perfect for Slenderman, I think to myself. I pull the fuzzy blanket over me, and slowly, yet eventually, go to sleep. Not before seeing Slenderman disappear into the woods to do whatever it is he does.

What _does_ he do?


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: This is my longest chapter. Ever. This is over 3K words. Which is a lot. Hope ya like it :)**

**I don't own Slenderman in any form, any matter, any way, or anything else I can think of.**

**Reviewers are my sunshine, my only sunshine. They make me happy, when skies are gray. I can keep on singing but I'm pretty sure you get the point.**

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Chapter 9

I woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed. Yet this time, I didn't wake up because of the sun. Not even because of any sounds, like the birds I was so used to hearing. The sense of smell pulled me to consciousness this time, the aroma of breakfast calling my name. Did I even dream last night? There was the nightmare with my parents being all creepy, but I don't remember any other dreams. Still keeping my eyes closed, I stretch from my position on the couch. I can't help it; this couch is more comfy than my bed. My stomach rumbles at the delightful scent of… pancakes? With maple syrup too. Oh man, pancakes. Haven't had any of those because my mother gave up on cooking at the moment. Maybe not just a moment, but the point is, this was going to be one heck of a breakfast.

With a slight groan at having to actually move my limbs, I get up from the elongated couch. I don't have a good idea at how this cabin has its rooms arranged, but like a bloodhound, I track the scent. Once I arrive at the kitchen, I see Slenderman flipping a pancake like a Master Chef. Not that Master Chefs flip pancakes, but if they did, they would be welcoming the tall guy in the gang. Looking at the pancakes closely, I see something that makes me smile in the inside and definitely on the outside. Blueberries. There are blueberries in the pancakes. Breakfast from heaven. My mouth waters at the thought of finally eating these masterpieces.

_I hope you like blueberry pancakes._

"Are you kidding me? I absolutely love those! You better watch out, because I'm going to eat them all. Every single crumb. I will empty the whole plate. I will seriously…"

_I believe I get the point, little one. I made a good choice._

"Good choice… for me. You're not even getting the chance to take a bite."

_Good thing I wasn't planning to, anyway. I don't eat human food._

"You're missing out, then," I conclude, before realizing what he said, "Wait, then what do you eat?"

_It's hard to explain… well look at this, the pancakes are done. Take as much as you want._

"Nope, nope, nope," I take a huge breath dramatically, "and nope. Nuh uh. No way."

_That sounds very negative, if you ask me._

"Well I didn't even ask in the first place," I respond, "But still, you will absolutely not avoid my questions. I don't allow it."

_Someone wants to be the queen bee._

"Hey!" I exclaim, "Rude. Let's not get off topic. What do you eat?"

_Eat is not the appropriate word. It's more like consume._

"I don't see a difference."

_But I do. Eating actually requires chewing and swallowing. I don't do either. No need for a mouth to consume the way I do._

I was about to scold him for not giving me the specific answer I wanted, but my belly grumbled to remind me of a certain food waiting at my disposal. I guess I can discuss this later, but for now, my taste buds and my hunger both need to be satisfied. I serve myself a few pancakes, and walk to the dining room. I sit down and without waiting for Slenderman, which probably would be the right thing to do, I start to scarf the pancakes down. I didn't even put the syrup provided or anything, because I was so desperate to savor the deliciousness of blueberry pancakes. Wow, Slenderman was without a doubt a Master Chef!

_Remember to breathe._

"How did you even make these? This is like a gift from heaven!"

_What if I told you it was?_

I turn my head slowly towards him, not fully believing him, save for the little voice in my head that he might be telling the truth. I peer my eyes at him, trying to read his expression, but there is none to read. My green eyes staring at his non-eyes, I give up and chow down even more pancake goodness.

_You know I was just kidding, right? I didn't go up to heaven just to get breakfast that I won't even eat. In fact, I wouldn't even be allowed to go there in the first place._

"Pssh, I totally knew you were joking," I lie, before taking another bite. "By the way, why couldn't you go to heaven? You're a freakin' supernatural being!"

_Take a look at me, little one. I don't look like I belong in heaven, don't I?_

"Hey, what's so wrong with you?" I question, "If you really believe that, then you should at least see that you don't belong in hell either."

_I honestly don't think so, but how about we agree to disagree._

"Whatever."

By now I already wiped my plate clean. That was the best breakfast I had in a while. Sighing contently, I bring my plate over to the kitchen sink to wash it. Having eaten solid food, now I want to drink something to wash the pancakes down. I really don't want to bother Slenderman, but hey, he wouldn't be rude to me, right?

"Um… do you have something to drink? The pancakes were so yummy, but I need something to wash them down."

_That's what I forgot!_

"Uh, what did you forget? Something to drink?"

Slenderman suddenly turns to me quickly. In my point of view, he looks surprised. I can tell through the way he has his arms slightly raised and the way he's giving me his full attention. What did I do now?

_You heard that?_

"Heard what?"

_That I forgot. You said that I forgot something._

"Well, yeah, that's what you told me, right?"

_How did she read my mind? She's just a little human, without such capabilities._

"I'm guessing that's a habit now, huh? With you calling me little. You're just too tall."

_You heard that too?_

"Of course I did. You messaged me, didn't you?"

Slenderman stays quiet, not answering my question. He seems deep in thought; every so often taking rapid glances at me for some reason. What's the big deal? We've already been messaging each other through each other's mind for some time already. Why is he acting like this? Then again, he's been confusing me for some time as well.

_Before we met, did you read minds? Were you some psychic?_

"No… it would be cool but this is my first time mind messaging. Why?"

_You're reading a few of my thoughts now._

"Duh, I have been doing that for the entire time I was with you. What's so different this time?"

_You don't understand. You're reading some thoughts I don't intentionally send to you._

"You mean," I say, slowly coming to realization, "I'm legit reading your mind."

_Yes._

"Woah!" I exclaim, "That is cooler than cool! I'm not just a little human anymore, hah!"

_You still are a little human. Reading minds doesn't change that fact._

"Hey. Don't kill my vibe. Don't you get it? I'M. READING. MINDS."

Slenderman just stares at me while I'm prancing about the kitchen, while I ramble on about how I'm going to be one awesome psychic and how I now get to see what everyone else is thinking. I feel so ecstatic right now, until Slenderman does exactly what I told him not to do. Knocked out my vibe cold.

_It's only going to work with me; you can't do that with anybody else._

"You're lying."

_Sorry, but that's the truth._

The little voice comes back telling me that it's certain that Slenderman is telling the truth now. I really want to keep up my vibe, but Mr. I Kill People's Dreams ruined it. Ugh. Thanks a lot. I turn to the dream killer and frown.

"Why did you have to kill my vibe? You deserve a penalty, but since I have mercy unlike someone, I'll let you go."

_Why should I get a penalty? I did nothing wrong._

"Yes you did. You broke one of The Rules Of The Universe. According to it you deserve a penalty for destroying someone's dreams, but I'll just give you a warning, because my kindness knows no boundaries."

_Wow, I feel so lucky._

What enthusiasm.

"Indeed. Just don't demolish people's dreams next time."

_Whatever you say, little one._

Thinking about what he said a little more, I wonder, can I read his mind whenever I want? Like, if I concentrate all my psychic powers or whatever, can I really read all his thoughts? It's worth a try. I stare intently at the faceless man as I try to enter his mental boundaries. I think we just stand there for five minutes. Maybe it was ten, fifteen, or longer, because I'm pretty bad at guessing measures. Just as I was about to give up… okay, nothing happened anyway. I let my kind relax, or what I think was relaxing.

_Is she still trying to read my mind?_

I widen my eyes a little when I hear this. Well look at that, it finally worked. I guess the key to doing this mind stuff is to relax your mind, not to focus it. A smirk forms on my face at having accomplished my goal for the past minutes.

"Hey, give me a break, I'm still new to mind reading. It's not like I have a For Dummies book or anything."

_Who knows, you may have The Instructions Of The Universe._

"What?" I ask, tilting my head, "Never heard of that. Nope, only heard of The Rules Of The Universe. The universe has no instructions. It's too complicated."

_Then why aren't your rules complicated, hm?_

"Because of the same reason. Since the universe is too complicated, we are provided with these rules to live in harmony and peace and other cliché words."

_I suppose that makes sense._

"Certainly does."

We stand there for a while, not really doing anything, until I remember to ask him something.

"So… do you have anything to drink at all?"

After Slenderman got a gallon of milk from who knows where and I finally felt satisfied, we said our goodbyes and he teleported me home. To be specific, he teleported me to my room. Reason being that I remembered to lock the door, but with my level of stupidity, I left my keys on the nightstand as well. My nightstand is turning into a lost and found center. Or at least a forgotten one. First my watch and then my house key, what would I forget next?

It was already almost noon when I got back home, so the sun was all the way up, streaming its rays through my windows. There won't be anymore letter on my window sill anymore, since Slenderman told me that I could just go and visit him anytime. Well, at least he told me that I could visit him anytime, but to try avoiding coming in the night. I'm not completely sure why, but I figured it probably has to do with those untold techniques he tried not to tell me. I shouldn't blame him though, I must be his first human friend, so most likely he's new to all this stuff. Just like how he's my first, well, nonhuman friend. Now that I think about it, he's my second friend. I honestly don't count Mary/Maria/Marion. My first friend was Heather. I sigh in nostalgia.

Heather. Where do I start? She was pretty crazy and wouldn't stop to take care of her own well-being. She always dragged me to any place she thought was cool and had to show me. It didn't matter how close or how far it was. It could be as close as her attic to as far as the supermarket (which had to be a half hour walk unless my younger self exaggerated it). She always put her hair up in a braid, she told me it was because her mother wanted her to act all ladylike. Braiding her hair was one of those small steps it took to convince her mom she was as feminine as a young lady could be. She wore dresses and jewelry, just like my own mother. Which is why that saying is so true: Don't judge a book by its cover.

Now that I started thinking about Heather, I suddenly miss her so much. I look over at my nightstand and by where my house key is a simple green picture frame with a photo of Heather and me. She bought the frame herself when she was about to move, and told me that I was the best friend she ever had. The picture frame is green because that was her favorite color. It's the color of her dad's uniform and of the four-leaf clover. Not to mention it's also the color of Granny Smith apples, her favorite kind. In the picture frame is a photo Heather took of us sitting on the edge of the fountain at the plaza a few miles from here. My mother drove us there because she had to do some shopping, and Heather really wanted to hang out with me. She was wearing a sky blue shirtwaist dress while I was in my not so pretty red T-shirt and jeans. Not that I cared. The dress would look better on her than me.

What's my mother doing anyway? I hope she's feeling better. I step quietly down the stairs as I go see where could she be. My stomach clenches up when I see she's in the bathroom. It goes away though when I hear the toilet flush without any sounds of puking. My mother opens and goes out the door, her face not revealing anything. She looks at me briefly before heading her way to the living room. I follow her there, interested in what she's up to. She sits down on the couch she was sobbing on not so long ago. She looks at the TV remote for a moment or two before reaching for it and turning on the TV. I try to hold back a smile, happy that she's starting to go back to her normal schedule, but not wanting to make her uncomfortable. When I see what show is on the screen, I actually consider the fact that the forces of the universe or some type of bad karma I'd against me. There, on the TV, is an episode of The Divorce Court. My mother quicky presses the power button before setting the remote beside her. She just sighs and sits there, looking deep in thought, though I can't say for sure. It's like when I can't tell what Slenderman is feeling for sure, but that's because he has no face. My mom does have a face yet she makes it unreadable, keeping a neutral expression.

I feel so awkward standing there, so I just walk back up the stairs to my room. Once I'm there, I look at my desk and see my sketchbook, untouched for a long time. I would always show my drawings to my parents, but my father stopped taking interest in me and my mother didn't take interest in anything. Before I know it, I have the sketchbook in my hands, and I'm flipping through it. It's like a timeline made out of drawings. When I first got it, I was ten. I got it from my father, who encouraged my love for art. My first drawings were kind of shaky. Okay, they were really bad, but that was when I was just starting. It would be simple things like flowers and fruits at first. But as my skills improved, I started drawing animals and people. It progressed from scenes such as that fountain at the plaza to things from my imagination. I'd say I do really well recently, but with current events, I lost interest myself.

I shook my head. I'm not going to let the depression and anxiety if my parents to affect me. I pick up a pencil and a white vinyl eraser to start drawing whatever comes to mind. My kind is blank right now, but I'm sure something will come to me. I close my eyes, and I see the after affects of seeing the sun, even if it's in the peripheral vision. When I was in the woods, talking with Slenderman, there was the sun, warming me up, despite the morning chill. The man of the forest didn't seem affected though, because as he said, he lived for a very long time, more than enough to adapt. Heck, he adapted so much that he looks like the trees themselves. He has long skinny limbs, almost like the branches of the trees. He would make a very nice tree. And a well dressed one at that. I smile splits my face, extending from ear to ear. I would have never guessed in the past that I was going to be friends with a supernatural being in a suit who lived in the forest for several centuries. Wow. It sounds unbelievable, like fantasy, when I say that, but it's true.

Just now I noticed that my hand was moving, already drawing lines and shapes on the paper. It's not competed, of course, but I can see its form. How wouldn't I recognize the form? It's Slenderman, with his suit and long limbs and all. But that's not the thing that jumps out at me. It's his hand. He is slightly bent towards the viewer's perspective, and his spindly arm is stretched toward the viewer. His hand is open, waiting for them to take it. It's from when I first met him. Now filled up with inspiration and determination, I finish the drawing, shading it in. After thinking about it, I decide to use a small amount of color. There's the dark green of the pine trees, the navy blue of a small river I added in the background, and last but certainly not least, the deep silky red of his tie.

Finally finished, I sit back at my chair, my backbones cracking at the sudden movement. I admire my completed artwork, and think about showing it to him. Yes, I will. The next time I go to the woods, I'll bring this with me and show him. After all, he's the only one who'll show interest. Heather too, if she was here. Whenever she came over, I would show her my drawings, and she would point out which ones she liked best. Even when I had to go somewhere and I left the sketchbook with her, she would write her comments down. She would take index cards and stick them where the drawing was with her opinion on it. I flip to a random page and see a drawing of an apple. Rome, to be exact, seeing its shiny dark red skin. On the index card, it said: "Nice shading. I like how you added the shine. Though next time, make a green one. Granny Smith is a whole lot better." When I flip through the sketchbook, I see that I really did draw a green apple, and glancing at the index card, I see she added a smiley face. It's contagious because now I'm smiling too.

Wanting to go to the bathroom, I head once again downstairs. Entering the bathroom, I notice out of the corner of my eye that the drawers under the sink are opened a crack, and there's a box sticking out. Curious, I open the drawers and read what the box says. Curiosity killed the cat. That saying echoes in my mind as my eyes widen at what is written on the box. My hands tremble when I flip the box over, having to read more to fully believe this. In bold lettering, it says "Pregnancy Test". Not only that, but it's open. I look inside to find the actual test itself gone. I look in the drawers to find two other opened empty boxes that say "Pregnancy Test" as well. I'm panicking now, wondering why my mother would want these, much less use these. With an eye of a detective, I search the bathroom for clues, hoping for the slightest indication of the location of the missing tests. My eyes rest on the mini trashcan, and opening it, I see a bunch of tissues. I don't give up that easily. I dump the contents in the floor, and hear a clatter. Bingo. But when I see those tests. Did my heart stop beating? My lungs stop inhaling and exhaling? My brain stop thinking? Not exactly the case for my brain, it's more like a broken record, repeating the same word over and over again. For that single second, my senses refuse to work out of shock. My eyes stop seeing and my ears stop hearing. All I can perceive of reality at that moment is that word. Again and again.

Positive. Positive. Positive.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: WOAH! Chapter 10 already! I never thought I would get this far.**

**I will not, should not, could not, would not, can not, and do not own the Slenderman.**

**Whenever I see a review, it totally makes my day (and night too) :D Muchas gracias to everyone reviewing! Not to mention those who simply read too :)**

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Chapter 10

After those few seconds of shock, I force myself back into reality. My mother is pregnant. It felt so weird to have this thought in my head, much more say it out loud. A flashback appears in my head, playing back the events as they unfolded. My mother didn't even show a reaction as she went out of the bathroom. Not even the tiniest twitch of her mouth or any spark that ignited in her eyes. All I saw was her poker face, a stone hard expression in her face. Her emotions were much harder to read than Slenderman's. What exactly is she hiding? Or should I say, who is she hiding? Because this is not her, this woman who doesn't look at me as a mother should. It's almost like she doesn't recognize me as her daughter, or anyone she knows for that matter. Sure, she said my name, but that's as far as we gotten. Who knew that a woman with so much character and determination would break down at a divorce and completely ignore everyday life afterwards?

I step out the bathroom, my head still buzzing with these thoughts. There are sounds if the TV drifting from the living room. Looks like she decided to see something after all. I walk to the living room to see her looking at a commercial for Cheerios. Nothing too harmful, right? I swear, my life is one huge ironic statement. It's that commercial with the baby picking up the Cheerios, making a "nom nom" sound. If I haven't made my discovery in the bathroom, I thought that this wouldn't be bad. Too bad I'm too curious for my own good. I look at my mother, wondering if this will get at least a small reaction. Her face, however, doesn't change, almost as if she were a statue. I sigh.

"Mom."

She ignores me, lost in her own little world of where no one but her exists.

"Mom," I try a little louder, "Are you there?"

She finally turns toward me, but in a robotic motion. Her empty blue eyes stare into my worries green ones. For the fist time I notice that her cheeks look hollowed than usual.

"I saw them," I simply say, "In the bathroom."

She continues her steady stare. Is she waiting for me to continue? She's giving nothing away.

"The tests," I almost stutter, "They're…"

"Positive," She interrupts, "I know."

I hold back a gulp at her voice. It's as emotionless as her face. There's no ups or downs, just one flat tone.

"So," I mumble a bit, feeling kind of awkward, "I'm going to get a sibling then."

"It's not a half sibling if that's what you're wondering," She mumbles as well, "It's your father's."

I honestly have no idea what to say at this point. First of all, this is the first time she mentioned my father. But second, did she think I was accusing her of sleeping with someone else? It's been barely a week since he left. This baby should be a month or two. I struggle as I try to remember what I learned in health. I don't see why it would be someone else's. Then again, she had those nasty fights with him for a few months already, but she wouldn't be so angry to the point of having an affair. I snap out of my overanalyzing thoughts, and change the focus back to this broken woman who is my mother.

"I'm not accusing you," I claim, "It's just, you know, why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I just found out myself," She snaps at me, "I needed a moment to think this to myself, but apparently I can't."

I flinch at her cold tone.

"Sorry," I apologize, "But can you please stop hiding from me? You're still my mom and I'm still your daughter. Especially in times like now, can we not move apart?"

She analyzes me with her now icy eyes. Her glacial glare is penetrating me, searching me for any lies that I really don't have. I'm her daughter for goodness sakes, can't she see that? She makes a quiet sigh and hunches her shoulders. Only until then is when she finally softens her gaze, or should I say, melt it.

"Okay, Andrea," My mother gives in, "I'll trust you."

I resist the urge to scowl at her. Oh, I'm so glad that I am qualified for her highness, but it would be better if I were actually treated like family and not foe.

"Andrea, you're a big girl now, so you should understand me when I say," She takes a big breath here, "That it would be… difficult for a single mother like me to raise another child."

I have a look on my face of understanding, yet on the inside I'm furious and utterly disgusted by what she's saying. I love my mother, yet she's not acting like herself, giving me all this crap. She just became a single mother, so it's not like she has the experience of a mother who has been single for years. So what is she implying here? Has she decided to move in from my father already? Nothing about this situation comforts me; it does pretty much the opposite.

"Okay," I slowly say, "So are you planning to do something about it?"

"Of course I do," She replies, "I decided I have to… do something about the problem… and fix it."

I hear hints of hesitation as I listen to her vague answers. She's trying to choose her words carefully. I can clearly notice it from her pauses and her emphasis on a few of the words. To sum it all up, she doesn't want to tell me straight up. She might even attempt to sugar coat it. I hate it when people do that, to "not hurt my feelings". If they wanted to hit a nerve, that's one way of doing it. I'd prefer of they just told me it without bending the truth. My feelings aren't made of glass, so they better not do that.

"Don't go easy on me," I respond with a fiery confidence, "You're not talking to a snot nosed little girl. Let's talk woman to woman."

Her face now more legible, I can see her giving me a look that said, "Well, you asked for it" and looks deeply into the windows of my soul, aka my eyes.

"I've been talking to my gynecologist, and I want to get rid of the problem."

I widen my eyes. She isn't even going to find a guy who could be father figure. She said that she was getting rid of the problem. That could only mean one thing.

"Mom…"

"I'm getting an abortion."

I just stare at her in shock, not believing what I was hearing. And here I thought that my mother was pro-life. Turns out she's pro-choice. I never bothered asking her, but I just assumed she was against abortions. I know I am. I'm not all religious and I don't go to church or anything, but I always believed that babies deserve the chance of living. It's not our place to decide whether a real live human gets to live or not. Killing the unborn baby is murder in my eyes. But it isn't in my mother's eyes.

"Mom, you can't do this!" I yell at her, "I will help you raise the baby! As the older sister, I'll take care of my younger brother or sister and make sure nothing happens to him or her. I promise. But don't do this…"

"Andrea, I am the mother and I choose what to do with it. Plus, don't call it "him" or "her". I already set an appointment so this will most definitely happen, guaranteed. Deal with it."

I can feel my tears of frustration pooling in my eyes. My heart is pounding in my chest, threatening to break out of my rib cage. What does she not understand? Doing this will take away a precious human life. I clench my hands while my palms start to sweat. I grit my teeth and I clench my jaw. I have to bite my inner cheek to keep myself from screaming in anger. Why does life have to be so unfair? Right now I have the urge to get away from my mother and run into the arms if my father. That won't happen, but I do have someone to run to in times of need. Without so much as a second thought, I stomp out the house and slam the front door. I don't even check if it's locked. It could be wide open for all I cared. My mother doesn't even try to stop me as I run away from my house and to the general direction of the woods.

There's only one person who would listen to and respect my opinions, well, besides Heather for obvious reasons. Slenderman. He has been the most supportive friend I had since the divorce. All the familiar scenes swoosh by me as I zoom to one location in mind: the woods. My quick gasps accompany the sound of my rapid steps. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. I don't notice when I crossed into the territory of the oak trees. There's no exact destination in mind, so I'm just dashing through the woodland at this point. There's the color of fire everywhere, but it's only the falling leaves. No tears trickling down my cheeks, but I'm upset. I'm mad at the world. My legs are sore, and my lungs are tired. I'm aching all over, so I collapse onto the floor, next to a really tall oak tree.

_Someone's been doing a lot of running._

I hear his voice in my head but he's nowhere in sight. I'm not even going to bother to get up and look for him, because I'm so exhausted. It's clear my body has been overworked. Closing my eyes, I focus on the sounds around me. There's the ever-present twitter of the birds, but there's the sound of wind too. And what else do I hear next but a twig snapping. I open my eyes to see my no-faced friend.

"Hey."

_Hey._

He doesn't say anything else and neither do I. All I needed was the company of someone who cares. Though a conversation would be nice. Being the worst at starting a conversation, I just wait for him to do so. There's a long silence stretching between us until he finally says says something.

_Did you need me for anything?_

"Your company. All I needed was for you to be here. But did you want to talk about something?"

_I have a feeling you have something in mind._

"Or maybe," I guess, "You're just reading my mind."

_After what happened, I'm not going to do that anymore. What's bothering you?_

I take a breath before pouring out my situation to him.

"Well, I just found out my mom is pregnant. You probably could tell how shocked I was. Though, she assured me that it wasn't by someone other than my dad. The news surprises me, because getting a sister or a brother is exciting, right? But my mom starts saying how hard it would be for her, even though I told her that I could help. She said that she's going to 'fix the problem'. I couldn't believe her, and now I'm really upset. I mean, she already has an appointment set up and everything! How could she be so cruel! She's changed ever since my dad left, and now my life is a mess."

I finish my rant with a sigh, content that I could vent out my feelings to someone I trust. It looks like Slenderman is taking a minute to absorb all this news, and I don't blame him. It's a lot. I look down and pick up a yellow leaf. While he's processing this information I tear the leaf into smaller bits until it's confetti. Letting the pieces fly in the wind, I wait patiently to so if he has something to say. Which he does, eventually.

_Have you told anyone else other than me?_

"No, you're the first. And the only, too. I have nobody else to tell. That's why I came here in the first place."

_Do you have any friends at your school?_

"I'm home schooled. I mean, I was."

_How about church?_

"I don't go to church."

_In your neighborhood, then?_

"This girl, Heather, she's a really good friend. But she moved, so I had nobody but my parents until I met you."

_So that means…_

"That you really are the only friend I can talk to," I finish his sentence for him, "That's why I'm going to the woods often."

_This girl, Heather, does she have blond hair?_

"Yup. She always braids it."

_Does she have hazel eyes?_

"Yeah… have you seen her before?"

_I think so. The girl I saw was wearing a dress and had jewelry on._

"Yes! That must be her! When did you see her?"

_Recently. She was running just like you were, and she stopped by the woods. She stayed here for a night and while she was sleeping I read her mind to see her motives. She meant no harm, and seemed to be running away from something and needed shelter. I let her stay without disturbance, and she left the morning after._

My eyes widened at this. What was Heather doing here? What was she running away from? She just moved to a nearby state. Was she running away from home? Why? All these questions flood my mind, especially since it concerns my only, well, human friend. Slenderman said it was recent.

"Did you see where she went?"

_I only saw that she went in the direction of the pine trees. That's it._

One last question pops in my head. Did she go in the direction of my house? I need to see if she's there.

"Do you mind if I go to my house? I want to check if she wanted to see me."

_Not at all. I'll teleport you there._

"Thanks."

And off we went.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Howdy, partners. Sorry for the long wait. It's been over a week! Ah! School is a struggle. I feel like this excuse is used a whole bunch of times but it's legit. I'll try my best to update more, though it isn't guaranteed.**

**I don't own the Slenderman. That's as simple as it gets. As Andrea says, "Period. End quote."**

**Reviews are beauty and art and perfection and love and joy and happiness and rainbows and glitter and unicorns. Mashed all together. So if you can, please leave a review! Thanks c:**

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Chapter 11

After Slenderman dropped me off at my backyard, I ran through the front door, remembering that I didn't even bother to lock it. Looks like my mother didn't either, so I went in the house and rushed up the stairs. Was she in my room? When I got there, I called out for her.

"Heather? Are you here?"

No answer. Maybe she went somewhere else. That's what I thought until I heard a tap. I turned to its general direction and found that it was coming from my window. Tap. There it is again. I went over to my window and opened it to have a pebble hit me on my forehead.

"Ow."

"Andrea!"

My eyes got big at the familiar voice. It was Heather's. I scanned the yard below me. I couldn't see anyone, so maybe it was my imagination. But the pebble definitely wasn't my imagination; it's on the windowsill right now. I check again to see if I can find her.

"Andrea, over here!"

That's when I focus on the shed, and with the door open a crack, I see a hazel eye peeking out with some blond hairs loose. Not believing my eyes, I rub them before looking again. It's really Heather! I signal for her to hold on while I dash down the staircase. Skipping a step here and there, I jump to the bottom and ran for the back door. Once in my backyard, I go in the shed to see my once gone friend, Heather. We stare at each other for a minute, not believing our eyes, until we snap out of it and hug each other. This time, it's tears of joy that fill up my eyes.

"Heather the Feather!"

"Andrea, queen of the Himalaya!"

We laughed a little at what we called ourselves before. Speaking of which, why did she run away? She doesn't even know my situation either, now that I think about it. I have confided to her all my secrets, and she did the same with me. So I secretly told her about my parents, about how they fought and how worried I was for them. She left, though, before the divorce. When we break away from the hug, I look around my surroundings, as if there were an eavesdropper nearby. Then, I turn to Heather.

"Heather, you're going to have to go to my room. And without my mom seeing you. I still don't know how she's going to react."

"But you're mom is really cool! Why would she have a problem?"

"Um… I'll explain to you. But once we get in my room. Let me check if the coast is clear, then you can follow me, okay?"

"Uh, sure."

I go to the back door, and opening it, I peek in the living room. I see my mother on the old couch. Leaning in a bit more, I see that she has fallen asleep, her soft breathing reaching my ears. I signal Heather to follow me, and then we go up the stairs. I would have laughed at how we looked if we weren't trying to be so quiet. We were acting so secretive; the Mission Impossible tune could have been playing in the background. When we get to my room, she takes a look around while I plop on my bed. Satisfied with what she saw, she turns to me with a look of questioning in her face.

"So, what was going on when I left?"

"A lot of things. You may want to sit down for this."

"Pretty severe stuff, huh?"

"That and I'm gonna take a while to tell you everything."

I motion to a spot next to me on my bed. She complies and sits down, ready to absorb whatever I would tell her. I take a deep breath before telling her everything. And I mean everything. Well, except for Slenderman, I'll tell her that part later. But for now I'm telling her about the fights, the screaming, and most of all, the divorce. I tell her about my dad leaving and my mom's depression. By the time I reach the news of the baby and its plotted murder, I'm slurring the words and I'm kind of mispronouncing them too. Not to mention my voice is starting to get sore. I finish off with a period and an end quote. Heather stares at me for a while, and sits there, her brain going on an overload of information. She opens her mouth to say something, but keeps it open, and looks unsure of what to tell me. Until her voice creaks out one word.

"Wow."

Wow indeed.

"I told you that you have to sit down."

"I really wasn't expecting anything like that."

"Expect the unexpected."

She nods at my statement before gazing out my window. Her face contorts to one of confusion and curiosity. Heather leans in closer, and peers at something. Apparently curiosity is contagious, because now I'm leaning in too, playing a game of I Spy. Until I see it. Or I should say "him". Behind a tree, hidden by the shade, at a neighbor's yard is the man of the woods himself. What is he even doing here? Does he want to give Heather a heart attack? I almost facepalm at that thought. Heather never gets scared. Some might call it stupidity, but I saw her as courageous and risk-taking. Well, she was my first friend, so I may be a little biased. Only a little. But back to Slenderman, what was he doing here? I make a face at him that says, "What the heck are ya doin'?"

_So I was right. That is Heather._

I was about to yell out loud despite Heather being there until I hear the next message.

_Where is Andrea? Shouldn't she be with this friend of hers?_

Oh. He doesn't even see me. I gently push Heather out of the way to let him see me. Not only do I send him the look again, but I mouth the words too. The bass chuckle resounds in my mind until he disappears as well. Is this some sort of game? I try to play yet another round of I Spy only to feel Heather tap my shoulder. Lo and behold, there stands Mr. High and Mighty in all his glory. In my room. Not only that, but he has a few tentacles out, waving all around him. I bite my cheek while wondering how Heather is going to take this. I look at her, bracing myself for her reaction. I should have known better. This was Heather, after all.

"Woah! I heard of you! You're that Slenderman dude from the internet!"

The only thing I try to hold back at this point is my laughter. The Almighty Slenderman has been reduced to rubble at her words. One thing caught my attention, though. People already knew about him? Truthfully I haven't been in the Internet much, and that was only to do research for projects my parents assigned me. They emphasized that my studies were very important and that I shouldn't let crap from the Internet ruin it. Which is another reason why I don't have many friends. If I did, then I would have known more about this mysterious man. Enough rambling, what's happening right now is priceless. Slenderman's tentacles stopped waving in his disbelief on her reaction.

_What did you call me?_

It sounded more like an accusation rather than a question. Nevertheless, my blonde friend was unfazed.

"Calm down tough guy, can't I get excited from seeing you? Geez, you don't have to kill my vibe like that."

I smirk at her statement. Seeing that I was left out, I decided to jump in the conversation.

"Tsk, tsk. You broke one of The Rules Of The Universe."

_You're supposed to be on my side._

"Hey, Andrea can be on my side if she wants to be. Wait a minute, you two met before, am I right?"

I confirm Heather's suspicions to be correct. I launch into another lengthy explanation on how I came to know Slenderman. After a while of this I pause.

"Heather, you never said why you were here," I tell her, "Now is the best time to explain."

"Okay, okay," Heather raises her hands in defense as she says this, " I guess I do owe you an explanation. Here I go."

Heather told us that after she moved, a drunk driver hit her mother. She didn't die immediately, but in the hospital she passed away. Her father reacted in anger and took it out on her. He would repeatedly beat her. One day she snapped, and yelled at her father. He said that if she wouldn't comply with him then she shouldn't even be in his house. He kicked her out, and she ran all the way here.

"Now that was the story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down. The end."

I feel some relief at knowing I'm not the only one with a sad back-story here. Heather still is her cheery self though. Am I? I hope I am, I don't want to be like my mom when she was depressed. No offense, of course. Heather's smile is as bright as ever, not to mention contagious. I'm smiling too, in spite of the severity of her story. Slenderman is just standing there, being his old self. He can't even smile anyway. Heather turns to look at Slenderman.

"Do you have some story to tell? It's your turn being Mother Goose."

_Once upon a time I appeared in existence. I had no family that I know of, so I lived in solitude for ages until I met you two peculiar humans. The end._

"Bravo!" Heather cheers and claps, wiping her eyes as if she was crying, "That's such an inspiring story! So emotional, it made me cry! My feels are just pouring out!"

She strikes a dramatic pose, making me giggle a bit. Slenderman would have rolled his eyes if he could have. This is one of the reasons why Heather is an awesome friend. She can make me laugh in the gloomiest of days. And here we are again. Finally good karma decided to shine down on me. As if on cue, the sun shines brighter through my window, now that some clouds moved out of the way. I look back at Slenderman with Heather prancing about, and I wonder what she's up to.

"I have a question!" Heather raises her hand, pointing towards the ceiling, "And you will answer it!"

_Not you too._

"Yup, ya better believe it! Okay, this is it!" She strikes yet another pose. "Is it true, Mr. Slender sir, that you stalk little children and suck the souls out of their bodies to consume?"

What kind of question is that?

_I don't consume souls. And trust me, it's not limited to little children either._

My curiosity renewed, I listen carefully.

"What exactly do you consume then," Heather the detective asks, "If it's not souls?"

Slenderman hesitates, but he answers.

_It's probably time I tell you. I consume fear. Whenever I scare people, I use their fear to sustain me._

"But wait!" Heather pursues, "Is that the only thing you eat?"

_It is the only thing I consume._

"Alright, but I know you're hiding something," Heather peers her eyes now, "Do you have urges other than hunger?"

This time, Slender really hesitates, and I'm not even sure if he's going to answer. I'm surprised he answered all her questions. He never wanted to fully answer mine. But whatever, what is Slenderman going to say in response?

_No… but that's all you need to know. Don't get into other's businesses._

"Fine. I just wanted to know," Heather says defensively, "No harm done, right?"

Slenderman nods, and now we're standing in silence once again. I hate these awkward silences; the conversation was getting good too. Let's see if I can start it up again.

"So."

"So."

_So._

I'll have to work on that.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Hello my little violet blossoms! I'm kidding, I'm not gonna call you anything creepy like that XD But anyways, here's the twelfth chapter!**

**I don't own Slenderman, but I do own Andrea... *evil laughter***

**Reviews. I love them. Even if you don't have an account, you can leave one as a guest :)**

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Chapter 12

"Hold on!" Heather yelled, "Where am I gonna stay at? Andrea, you think your mom would let… oh never mind."

I thought this to myself. Heather needs a place to stay, and I'm not sure if my mother would be ecstatic to let someone else in the house. But doesn't she only need a place for the night? Maybe we can pull this off. Hopefully it wouldn't occur to my mother to take a peek in my room at night. With this idea in mind, I get Heather's attention.

"Maybe if you only stay during the night," I reasoned, "My mom wouldn't even notice."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Heather replied, "If I have no concern at all for my personal hygiene. I need to take showers, and I'm pretty sure your mom would find out if it was me who was taking a shower in your house."

"Save your sarcasm for later," I tell her, "I'm going to think this through."

"Okie Dokie Artichokie."

Heather takes a granola bar from a pocket she happened to have in her dress, and begins crunching on it. Where did she even get it? Now's not the time. Wait a minute. I think I know where. Slenderman's cabin is isolated in the woods, so nobody could find her there. Not even I know where it's located, because Slenderman took me there when I was unconscious. Now the hard part. Someone is going to have to persuade Slenderman, and that's not exactly an easy task.

"Can we take this outside?" I ask. "I don't want my mom to come up here, and some fresh air would be nice."

One reason I didn't say out loud was that Slenderman seemed uncomfortable in my small room, and he might not take my idea so well, so he's going to need some space. He just teleported us outside to avoid waking my mom up. I thought that he would just take us to my backyard, but when I look around, it's the woods we're in. Doesn't matter, besides, this is better. Heather stepped to the side to do whatever she was going to do. I want Slenderman to hear this first, so I take the opportunity.

"I have another idea," I begin, "But I'm not 100% sure if you're going like it."

He nods for me to continue.

"You think, maybe, if it's possible…"

_It's my cabin, isn't it?_

"Wait, how did you know?" I questioned, "You didn't read my mind… right?"

_You could probably say that. Like how you were able to receive some of my thoughts. You made it obvious too._

"I wasn't that obvious!" I exclaimed, "Believe me, you would have no idea what I was thinking if you weren't some super cool mind reading being."

_Whatever you say, little one._

"So…?"

_No._

"What!? Why not?"

_That human is an idiot._

"That human," I imitate his voice, "Happens to be my friend! Plus, she isn't an idiot! She's more like…"

I search around my surroundings as if the answer would happen to be floating about. My eyes fall on Heather, trying to find the best adjective to describe her. She's doing cartwheels right now. I see her do a pretty impressive cartwheel. And run into a tree. She gets up, yells at the tree, and kicks it. Not such a smart choice, because now she's hopping on one foot holding her other injured one. Come on Heather, you're not helping me out here.

_You were saying?_

"She isn't an idiot," I defend her, "She's just special. Ha! That's it! She's special. You just can't see what potential she has."

_You're right. I don't. Please enlighten me._

"It simply can't be put into words. That's how complex her brilliance is."

_She still can't stay in my cabin._

"Give me one good reason why she can't."

_She's an idiot._

"That's not a good reason!"

_That's good enough for me._

"Well, according to The Rules Of The Universe, by definition it's unacceptable."

_What's the definition?_

"Classified. So where can she go?"

_How about she sleeps in your house, and if she needs to take a shower like she said, she could do so at my cabin._

"That's actually a good idea! I don't give you enough credit."

_You should. Where is the lunatic now?_

"She has a name, and it's Heather. Wait, wasn't she just doing cartwheels over there?"

I look around for Heather, but she wasn't where I last saw her. I call her name a few times, but despite my efforts, I don't get an answer. She couldn't have gotten that far. Slenderman is looking around for her too, his pale head turning this and that way. I clear my throat before calling her again, and this time I do get an answer… from somewhere above me? I look up and my jaw hangs open from my surprise. She climbed one of the tall trees and is standing on a branch right now. How did she even climb that fast? She's waving her hand like a maniac. What is she up to now? Oh Heather…

"Heather! What the heck are you doing up there?!"

"Aw, c'mon Andrea, you have to embrace life to the fullest!"

_It looks like you're embracing death._

"Slenderman has a point, you know. Why are you… hey, what are you doing?!"

"YOLO MOTHERF-"

"Heather! Oh my God!"

I interrupted Heather just as she jumped off. Is this really embracing life? She's crazy! For once, I have to agree with Slenderman. Her braid is waving in the air as she makes her decent to the ground. In a flash, inky black tendrils reach towards the sky, and grab Heather just in time. She makes an "oof" sound as they make contact. Slenderman lets go of her a few feet off the ground, seeing that she wouldn't get hurt. And even though she's called Heather the Feather, it's kind of misleading seeing her "graceful" fall to the ground. More like tumbling in the air somehow and landing on her face. She looks up not with pain on her face, but a goofy smile.

"That was so awesome! Oh yeah! Living like Larry!"

"Living like who?"

"Never mind. But did you see me? I was falling with style!"

_Even when I caught you and let you go close to the ground, it didn't look like "falling with style"._

"Aw shut up. But I wanna do that again!"

"No way! Are you nuts?!"

"Hey! That reminds me."

Heather reached in her pocket, and behold, there was another granola bar. Did she just stuff her pockets with these? She rips open the wrapper, spilling some bits all over the ground. How was she reminded of that? Oh wait… granola bars have nuts. She munches on it like if it was all she had to survive on. She gobbles it all up in less than a minute. Noticing me staring at her, she takes another granola bar from her pocket as if by magic. She stretches her arm out, offering it to me.

"You want one?"

"No thanks, but where did you even get those?"

"I stole them from the pantry back at my house when I ran away. Granola bars give me energy, and they're so good too! I like granola bars as much as you like…"

"Blueberry pancakes!"

"Yeah, sure. So, what's the plan?"

Both Slenderman and me explain the details of the plan to her. She nods once in a while to show she understands. I shiver a bit when I feel like it's getting cold. A breeze blows through the trees, swirling and twirling multicolored leaves in the air. The sun is setting, not totally, but enough to notice. The day just flew by so fast! But it's not over yet. Heather sneaks closer and closer to me until she suddenly jabs me in the arm. I was about to complain until she runs away giggling like a mad person while spitting out a few words.

"Tag, you're it!"

"Are you kidding me?"

_I don't think she is. You better go after her. That is, if you don't want her to get away with this._

"Can you teleport me to wherever she went? You can do that, right?"

_I can do that, but that would be cheating. I'm sure it says something like that in those rules of yours._

"You mean… The Rules Of The Universe. And yes, it says to help a friend in times of need. And this serves as a great example."

_Tell me the truth. Would you feel so good about yourself when the reason you were able to catch up to her is because of me?_

As much as I hate to admit it, Mr. Wise Guy has brought another good point. Seriously, he needs to stop doing this, it makes me look bad.

_I believe your silence means I'm right._

"Don't get so full of yourself. I was going to go after her anyways."

_You should go now. She has a major lead._

"Okay, here I go!"

I make a mad dash in the direction Heather went. The air feels so good flowing through my hair, and I love the feeling of flying over the ground beneath me. Before I know it, I'm laughing out of control and I have the same goofy smile Heather had before. I snap twigs and crunch fallen leaves, making a lot of noise, but I don't care. I'm having the time of my life! This is truly embracing life. I'm not even chasing Heather anymore, I'm just zooming at light speed. I think I close my eyes at some points, but I was lucky enough not to run into a tree. I reach the pine trees, but I keep on running on an infinite amount of energy. I close my eyes, but this time I do run into something. I open them.

I see rocks. A lot of rocks. Not small, ones, but big ones. I tilt my head at this, and I walk around it, looking for a mark or something. There's a small opening, but I'm not sure if I'll fit. I shrug. Why not? I crouch land wiggle my way through the entrance. By a miracle, I was able to squeeze myself inside. Looking around, I see that it's pitch black. Okay, not exactly, but is still really dark. There's some sunlight peeking in through the spaces between the rocks, allowing me to see some things. And when I focus on them, I suddenly remember everything. Me and Heather have been here before. This was the place she led me to when we were little. My memories were confirmed when I see what completes the jigsaw puzzle that is my mind. All over the walls are the Operator Symbol. My eyes widen when I remember a dream I had one night. How what I thought to be Heather's house was covered by these symbols in the inside.

"And I thought that you wouldn't find me here."

A small candle lights up, and Heather's cheery face is illuminated. She's smiling like how she always does, but the candlelight makes her appearance look ominous. If I didn't know her as well as I do, I would have gotten out of there as fast as I can. Realizing that she said something to me, I try to respond, but I end up stuttering.

"Oh," I say, "I just, well, I don't know."

"It's okay," Heather assures me, "I came here without thinking about it either. By the way, so you know what these are?"

She points to the symbols marked all over the walls.

"Yeah, they're the Operator's Symbol."

"Right! But do you know who's the Operator?"

Come to think of it, I don't. I never thought about it really. So I slowly shake my head to answer her question. I don't know if she noticed the slight hesitation in my answer. But nevertheless, she sees my lack of knowledge in this topic. She doesn't answer me right away, though.

She just smirks.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Aaaaaaand welcome back! Another poem from the poetry corner :)**

**Thank you to those who read,**

**This story with slow update speed.**

**I don't own you-know-who,**

**When you can, please review,**

**And now, you may finally proceed.**

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Chapter 13

Turns out Heather never told me. After she smirked, we stayed silent, watching the flame of the candle waver. It was me who first noticed the continuing drops in temperature until the point we were both shivering of the cold. We both don't have sweaters, and our breaths appear as puffs in the air, so it's not very comfortable to say the least. When I peeked out a little crack, I could tell it was night already, and I see a glimmering star. Heather shifted, yawned, and then stretched. She then faced towards me.

"I guess we have to go, right?" Heather asks, "It's already dark out."

"I guess. I know the way back."

"Are you sure? We better not get lost."

"Not really."

"C'mon, Andrea! I thought you knew this place well enough."

"You were the one who led me here in the first place, you know."

"That was a few years ago. But sure, I'll just follow my instincts! You can trust me."

"Let's hope I can."

We wriggle out the small opening, Heather first. When we finally climb out, I stretch my limbs and hear some bones crack. It's not exactly spacious in there. When I breathe in, there's the smell of pine with the bite of chilly air. Goosebumps line exposed skin on my arms. At least, I'm wearing jeans here. Heather on the other hand, she's wearing a dress. She runs her hands together to generate heat, and rubs it on her arms. She walks up to me and grasps my arm, seeking any kind of warmth to comfort her. She starts making her way to who knows where. I let her drag me, and now we're trudging along. Sleepiness makes my eyelids hang halfway, making me look like I'm in a trance. I focus on Heather's breaths, the ones that come out in little puffs in the frigid atmosphere. The sound of our steps falls in the background, until there's a small change. I glance down to see pavement, and when I look back up, I see the elementary school. She was right all along.

When we get home, I silently thank the fates or whatever it was that the door was unlocked. We sigh at the same time when a current of balmy air reached us. The carpet muffles any sound that might have been made as we ascend to my room on the second floor. Finally there, I plop down on my bed, reveling in the cushiony mattress. When Heather sits on the floor, that's when the thought comes to me that she needs something to sleep on. Like a good hostess, I offer her to sleep on maybes, and I could gather pillows or whatever and sleep on the floor. I'm confident that she would have politely refused, but the truth is, we're too tired to argue right now. She drowsily nods her head and curls up on my bed in a fetal positron, trying to get cozy. I find an old sleeping bag in my closet, stuffed in the back to be forgotten, until now. Seeing that Heather has more pillows than she needs, I snag a few and accommodate them. Ready, I crawl into the sleeping bag. I allow my eyelids to close all the way, and almost right away, I fall into a blissful sleep.

"Beep. Beep. Beep."

I extend my arm to shut off that stupid alarm clock, but I feel like something's directly above me. I open my eyes to see, whoop-de-doo, Heather's wide smile. Her face is staring down at my own, and it takes me a moment to react. When I do, my body responds as if it was shocked by a taser. I jolt awake, letting out a small scream of "shock". That was such a corny pun. Anyways, why did she have to do that?

"Heather, that's not a really nice way of waking someone up. You freaking beeped like an alarm clock!"

"Go to sleep, then."

She has a tiny smile at whatever she said. I don't even know.

"How can I if you just woke me up?"

"Then don't sleep. Today is a new day!"

Heather lifts her chin up and gets in a pose that displays pure determination. I dig handshake my head before getting out of my makeshift bed. When I look at her again, I'm now fully awake to observe that she has my nightgown on. And here I am, still in my clothes from yesterday. I open my closet to look at what I have to put on. Heather peers over my shoulder, scrutinizing the clothes. It must be awfully different from her clothes, because I have a lot of tees, not to mention my jeans that are folded up in my drawers. She probably is looking for a dress, because I can feel her exhaling of disappointment.

"Don't you have any dresses at all?"

"Nope. I don't have any reason to."

"But Andrea, you would look nice in one!"

"That doesn't mean I want to put one on, you know."

"Are there any dresses at all in this style depraved home?"

"Actually, my mom is the one with all of the dresses."

"Oh! Will they fit? God forbid they would be too big."

"What?! Are you calling my mom fat?"

"No, I'm saying she's tall. She could be a model if she wanted to be one."

"She's got all kinds of dresses. But if we're going to get one, we have to sneak past my mom."

"Cue the Mission Impossible theme."

"How can people read my mind so easily? First Slenderman, then you."

"I just know you like that. Besides, Mr. Grumpy Pants has superpowers, so that doesn't count."

"He's not that grumpy."

Heather narrows her eyes as if to say, "C'mon, you're not being serious."

"Fine. Whatever. Let's just get you that dress."

"Lead the way."

I slowly venture out my room to check if my mother isn't in sight. I double check, then gesture for Heather to come closer. Her eyes dart around, being cautious as well. My mother's room is just a few paces away. I jump a bit when I hear the TV downstairs turn on. My shoulders relax when I conclude that my mother is watching it. I turn to Heather to tell her it's alright, and we stride right into the room. When we get there, I go to my mother's much larger wardrobe, and open it. Heather gasps of surprise and what I guess is admiration. Before us stands an impressive collection of dresses. From long to sort, patterned to plain, elegant to casual, she's got them all. Heather gingerly touches a dress, indulging in its smooth texture. She moves to the next, and the one after that, until she starts laughing.

"This is so awesome! Your mom is the best! I mean, look at this! It's all so gorgeous!"

"Not to burst your bubble, but you need to choose one before you get caught."

"But Andrea! Do you even understand the beauty that is demonstrated right here? This is a work of art. You see…"

"I see that we have to hurry up. Just pick one, Heather!"

"You're killing my vibe. Didn't you say that was against the universal rules or something?"

"The Rules Of The Universe. This is an exception, now choose one or I'll get one for you."

"Take a chill pill. Fine, I'll rush myself to make a difficult decision."

Heather looks like she's mulling things over before she settles on a turquoise drop waist dress. I guess she doesn't mind if I look because she changes right in front of me. I still look away to give her privacy. When she's done, she smoothes it down. She searches for something around my mother's room until her eyes land on an object. It's the full-length mirror my mother put in the corner of the room. She marches up to it, and stares at her reflection. A silly smile splits her face before she starts taking poses. She changes her posture for her fake photographers, until her imagination takes the best of her and she starts waving and smiling. I bet she can hear the squeals and the screams of the crowd, cheering her on. I roll my eyes when Heather bows down, receiving the applause from her made up fans. I'm going to be such a hypocrite, since I'm going to wake her up from her daydream. I walk up to her and tap her shoulder. She most likely ignored me because she's still saluting the crowd. I shake her until she looks back at me.

"Andrea! You vibe murderer! Hypocrite."

"Sorry I'm such a party pooper, but let's go to the woods so there will be less chances of my mom finding you."

"I'm hungry."

"Just eat one of your granola bars."

"But I ate them all."

"Are you serious?!"

"My hunger is ferocious and it needs to be fed often."

"I'll just go see if we have any."

"You're a life saver, Andrea!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Heather stays at the top of the staircase while I casually walk down the steps. My mother glances at me, and then returns to whatever she's watching. Is that… the food network? Who knows, maybe she'll take up cooking again. But in the meantime, I'll have to get some food for my secret guest and myself. I open the cupboards and inspect the interior. Lucky for me, or rather Heather, there's a few granola bars piled up in the back. I grab those and after contemplating in my mind, I choose a bag of pretzels to take with me. Satisfied with my selections, I tell my mother that I'm going to spend some time in the woods. She slightly nods without turning away from the screen. I go upstairs and hand the bars to Heather. She thanks me while be both go back to my room. She opens up one of the wrappers right away and chews on the granola bar. I open the bag of pretzels and crunch on those too. I glimpse at my window to see Slenderman hiding in the shadows. He raises his arm slowly and puts a finger over where his mouth would be, gesturing for me to be quiet. Is he trying to scare Heather? He should've known he isn't going to succeed. He teleports directly behind her. He takes out his tentacles, inching closer and closer to her. He's about to attempt to scare her…

"I know you're there. Plus Andrea, you need to work on your poker face."

_Thanks a lot Andrea._

"I didn't even do anything!"

"You gave Slendy away."

_Slendy?_

"Yeah, Slendy. I can call you whatever I want. What does Andrea call you?"

_By my actual name._

"But that's boring! Why don't you like it?"

"Well, Heather, it sounds stupid. Why don't you like the name Slenderman?"

"I already told you two, it's boring. How about we settle this with something we can both settle on!"

_What about me?_

"Hush. Now Andrea, you don't like the name Slendy, so what about Slender?"

"Um, I don't know. It's just, I'm used to calling him Slenderman."

"Whatever. I'm gonna call you Slendy."

_I'd rather not. You may call me Slender, but not that._

"You can't stop me, SLENDY."

_Oh yes I can-_

"You know what, you two? How about we take this to the woods, in the usual place. If there is one. We're in high risk of getting caught by my mom, right?"

"Dang, I get your point. So how about you teleport us, Slendy."

…_You're not going to stop with that, aren't you?_

"Nope! Now what are ya waiting for, Slendyyyyy?"

_Are the fates against me?_

With the help of Mr. Sunshine, we magically appeared in the woodland. I hear trickling water nearby, somewhere behind me. Could we be near the river? The one with the Koi? I take Heather's arm and I yank her to the source of the sound, ignoring her objections. I rush to the place I had in mind, now in sight. I tell Heather that we're almost there. Almost where? You see, Heather, we're almost to the location Slenderman took me to when I was broken hearted that one day. And there, in its well-preserved state, is the pristine river with the majestic fish. The Koi still have their bold shade of orange with some scarlet in the mix. Heather softly gasps and extends her arm, like if she wanted to touch the fish herself to fully experience this. They swim away, of course, but her hazel eyes are still gazing at the beauty of this site.

"Do you like it, Heather?"

"Liking it would be an understatement, I really, um, give me a word."

"Love it?"

"No, too overused. C'mon, another one!"

"Admire it?"

"You can say that, but give me a better word. I know that you have a dictionary in that head of yours."

"Maybe, you're enchanted by it."

"YES! Bingo! That's the perfect word! How do you do that, Andrea?"

"Do what?"

"You just pull up words like how I pull up a wedgie!"

"That's a weird comparison."

"Duh, what else would you expect?"

"Heather, you're the exact opposite from the word 'expected' itself."

"And I plan to keep it that way."

_Sorry to interrupt, but-_

"No you're not," Heather abruptly says.

_Excuse me?_

"You're excused."

…_Whatever, human. Andrea, your mother is looking for you now. I suggest you go to her._

"You suggest her to go to her mom, huh?" Heather scoffs, "Who do you think you are now, her dad?"

And just like that, the atmosphere freezes over, with a chilly silence in the air. Most of it is probably coming from me, though, because Heather was awfully close to crossing the line. She would have if I didn't know her so well. Just the mention of my father makes my muscles tense and my jaw clench. It's not that I hate my father, it's just, well, I'm not really sure. But with what has even going on, the whole situation seems so nerve-wracking. I tilt my head and stare at the ground, with my hands balled up into fists. My fingernails are digging into my palm, but I don't pay attention to that. From the corner of my eye, I can see Heather's face etched up with worry and guilt. Slenderman is also looking at me, but with no telltale features to show me anything. I take a deep breath before I say anything.

"Can you take me to her?"

_Yes._

Slenderman teleports me to my backyard, and disappears immediately without a word. Heather is still in the woods, so I guess he went to talk to her. I hear my mother call my name out once, then twice. I see her on the sidewalk down the street, so I speed walk my way there. She sees, and then rushes towards me. One thing jumps out at me. There is mascara running down her cheeks. In the first place, why was she even wearing mascara? Second of all, why is she crying? When she reaches me, she wraps her arms around me for a right hug. I stiffen, not expecting that, but then I loosen up, wanting to feel the feeling of my mother's embrace again. She sobs in my shoulder, sniffling here and there. She lifts her head to look at me.

"Andrea, I'm so sorry. So sorry."

"But mom, what happened?"

"I-I canceled it."

"Canceled what?"

"The appointment."

"You mean…"

"Yes, that one."

"Mom!"

I hug her again, crying myself now.

"Andrea," She says, tilting my head, "Look at me."

I look at her.

"We can do this together, right Andrea?"

"Yeah, mom, we can. We can."

We can do this together.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: YOU GUYS I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN THE LONGEST TIME! 11 days to be exact. That's a seriously long time for me D: But it's here! It's finally here!**

**Ain't nobody own no Slender.**

**See that button on the bottom? The one that says review? Click it, and leave a review please :)**

* * *

Chapter 14

I take a sip from my mocha, indulging myself in the warmth. My mother is sitting beside me, savoring her cappuccino. Insisting that I should try something from the menu, my mother finally was able to persuade me into getting a drink. I'm not too fond of coffee, but I have to admit, this is pretty good. I should drink coffee more often. After our emotional embrace, we went over here at Starbucks to make up for lost time. I remembered about Heather and was worried what would happen of I just leave her, but then again, Slenderman is with her so she wouldn't try anything too crazy. Though I do feel kind of bad since I didn't say anything, as I was teleported to my mother. Speaking of her, my mother blamed herself for acting moody with me, even though I told her over and over again that it wasn't her fault. I would feel especially bad if I told her I couldn't spend time with her. So, here we are, drinking our beverages. I feel someone tapping my shoulder, so I swivel around on my chair to see who it is.

"Hello."

It's Mary. Or Maria. Or Marion.

"Hey," I greet back, "Long time no see."

"Could say the same for you," She replies, then turns to my mother, "Hello m'am. Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too, dear," My mother answers, "How is your father doing?"

"He's doing fine," She takes a moment to glance at her watch, "Sorry I can't stay to talk for long. My tutor will be home in about fifteen minutes. See you later, Andrea."

"I'll see you later, too."

With that, she turns and exits the building. When she finally leaves, I sigh and bury my face in my hands. How could she remember my name, but I don't remember hers? She told me before that she had biographical memory, so it makes a lot of sense. She's really smart, and I can tell that she's going to have a bright future. On the other hand, even with all my studying, I don't come close. I'm advanced because of the fact I was home schooled, but she's way ahead. I asked her before about subjects I'm struggling on, and she would know in a flash what I was talking about and how to explain it to me. I sometimes wish I could be as smart as her, and I would attempt to study more than I already was, but she's at an unreachable level.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I answer my mother, "It's just that, um…"

"It's just what?"

"What's her name?"

"You mean Maribelle?"

"Oh. Well then, looks like I was wrong."

"I don't call her that, though. I just call her Mary."

"I wasn't so wrong after all! Wait, but what were you saying about her dad?"

"One time I ran into Mary on my way to the grocery store, and her father was with her. He was in a wheelchair, and she probably saw my confusion because she explained that he had a severe case of arthritis and that it would be painful for him to walk. He looks elderly to me, he could've said that he was her grandfather and I would've believed him."

"What about her mom?"

"Since her father can't find work, her mother works full time as a doctor at the children's hospital, so even though she gets good money, she doesn't spend a lot of time with them."

"Did Mary really tell you all of this?"

"Of course she did, she looked like she needed to talk to someone."

"Now that we're on the topic, are you going to get a job?"

"A job?"

I nod. She looks thoughtful now, as if this was something she didn't really think about. She most likely didn't, with her mood swings over the past few days. She scrunches up her eyebrows, now seriously considering this. Nonchalantly, my mother twirls her straw, swirling what is left of her cappuccino. She huffs, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know, really. I can't get a high paying job right away; I'll have to start with something simple. Maybe…"

"A teacher."

"A teacher? I'm not so sure about that, though working with children sounds nice, especially with this tiny one on its way."

She gestures to her stomach, and when I look closely, I can see a tiny baby bump. Or maybe that's my imagination, but it's really interesting knowing that my little brother or sister is growing inside of her. I feel like a little kid again, filled with awe at this phenomenon. I extend my arm, and as gently as possible, I lay my palm on her belly, imagining the tiny being nestled deep inside her. I close my eyes, daydreaming about this mystery child, me being the overprotective older sister and the child as the hyperactive joyful younger sibling. I've seen kids in the neighborhood with their brothers and sisters, and secretly I would be jealous. I have wished for someone to oaky with, and now it came true. I open my eyes when I feel my mother getting up from her seat, and I do the same.

When we got home, my mother said something about missing her cooking shows, and after finding the remote hidden in the couch, flipped to a channel with some lady cooking some sort of foreign dish. While she's immersing herself in her cooking fantasies, I slip out the room quietly and go up the stairs to see Slenderman and Heather in my room. When Heather catches my eye, in a flash she's beside me, and hugs me tightly. This is no ordinary tight hug; this is Heather's legendary Bear Hug of Suffocation. She mutters all kinds of apologies for no doubt her outburst earlier. I want to tell her it's okay, I know she didn't mean to say that, no reason to be stressed out over something she said without thinking. But alas, her hug leaves no air in my lungs to even mumble a sound, hence my name for her death grip. When my fingertips go numb, she finally releases me, her face covered in more pleas for forgiveness. This time I can assure her that I'm not holding a grudge against her or anything like that.

"Andrea I'm so sorry I didn't mean what I said it just came out I hope you understand how deeply sorry I am-"

"Calm down! It's fine, stop being a worrywart."

"Thanks. I swear I'll never say anything like that."

"Don't swear, it will happen again and as longer as you don't mean to offend, it will be alright."

"You're such an awesome friend, Andrea! Queen of the Himalaya!"

"You too, Heather the Feather."

"Not so much anymore, I feel like I gained some weight."

"Duh, you're older now, but you're not fat at all, if that's what you're saying."

"I have a little chub over here! And look at my thunder thighs, don't you see how they jiggle?"

"Trust me when I say that you're in no way chubby, and those aren't thunder thighs. You look like you exercise, too!"

"I did play soccer for a while. I was a total soccer star! You should've seen me, I just flew!"

"Woah, really?"

"Nope. I did play soccer, but I'm not THAT good. Geez, it doesn't even look like it anyway, so don't patronize me Andrea!"

"Whatever."

"Hey, we're leaving Slendy out of this!"

_I'm perfectly fine. And don't call me that._

"How about Slendy-roo?"

_How about no._

"Slendy-kins?"

_No way._

"Slendy-senpai?"

_Now you're just being ridiculous._

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine, huh?"

_You're quite the annoying one._

"You're quite the grumpy one."

_There has to be some violation in those rules, right Andrea?_

"Why are you dragging me into this? And no, this conversation is good the way it is."

_Why do you side with the crazy one?_

"Why do you call her crazy?"

"I am crazy, truthfully. I'm crazy and I know it, and I'm proud enough to show it."

_You definitely are._

"You shut your face! …Oh. Never mind."

* * *

Heather said she wanted to show Slenderman and me something in the woods, so after asking my mother who was really focusing on the cooking show on the TV screen, I was given the okay. We raided the pantry for those granola bars Heather was so obsessed about, and since there was only three left, I planned to offer my mother to run errands and get the bars. We all went out through the back door, and even though Slenderman volunteered to use his magical abilities to get there faster, Heather turned it down. Either she wanted to enjoy the scenery or something else she wasn't telling us yet. Now that we're walking through the forestry with the pine trees, I noticed that the section with the pine trees isn't all that big. I was pretty sure it was very vast, but there was my lack of measuring accuracy in the way. Heather stood still for a few moments, and took a sharp left. She shouted that it was that way, and I'm running along with her while Slenderman is doing whatever he always does behind our backs. Déjà vu comes to me in waves, and I'm desperately trying to grasp why is this place so familiar.

"C'mon Andrea, you slowpoke!"

"I don't even know where is that thin you're showing us, how do I know where to go?"

"Follow the leader!"

"Can I trust you as a leader, Heather?"

"Don't be a goofball, I'm an awesome leader! Why don't you trust my leadership?"

_I have not a clue._

"See, Slendy is on my side!"

"Wasn't that a sarcastic tone, though?"

"Not at all. He was very clearly supporting me. Your support would be nice too, Andrea."

"You better not be misleading me."

"Of course I'm not, your uttermost and highest majesty."

"And that, Heather, was clearly sarcasm."

"So? Mr. Dressed To Impress over here was in no way contradicting me."

_Dressed to impress?_

"Why else would you dress so stuffy? Is there someone special! Ooh! Slendy has a girl in mind, hm?"

_Don't get your hopes high, human. This romance you're trying to create wouldn't exist, I haven't met any of my kind. I don't even know if there are more._

"But then," Heather strikes her dramatic pose, "When dear old Slendy is feeling his worse, out of blue appears the woman of his dreams, here to rescue him from the cold clutches of reality. Behold, the Slenderwoman, who he only imagined to be fantasy, holds his hand, drags him away from his dreary destiny, and they both disappear in the sunset. The end."

_I take it you like drama._

"I'm a total drama queen. Andrea may be the queen of the Himalaya, but I am the drama queen. Not just any drama queen, THE drama queen."

"Not to ruin your whole drama thing, but are we there yet?"

"Patience is key, Andrea. But yeah, we're almost there. You should recognize this, by the way."

"I should?"

"Think Andrea, think. But not too hard. Use your thinking cap."

I observe the setting. We're still in the pine forest, and there's a bunch of trees all over the place. A squirrel frantically climbs up a tree when we get close. But then there's a rock that seems out of place, a tall tree that stands out, and something about how everything is arranged. What is it? I give up, but when I look at the tall tree again, my brain finally comes up with my location. This section right here is super close to the mysterious cave with the Operator symbol. What is Heather thinking? She must be planning this only for Slenderman, since I already know about this. I'm not really sure if this is a good idea, but I'll have to trust Heather. She looks back at me and sees my hesitation, and slightly nods. At this point, I can see the massive pile of rocks. I sneak a peek at Slenderman to see his reaction. Too bad he doesn't have a face to demonstrate his feelings, leaving his reactions to his body language. His fingers twitch the tiniest bit, and his shoulders are somewhat tense. I can even see the tips of his tentacles poking out from his back. You better not screw this up, Heather.

"Ta-da! This is it. Not only you should recognize this, Andrea, but Slendy too."

_How did you find this?_

"When I first got here, I explored around and I ran into this. Not much to it. I also showed Andrea."

_But why would you show me a build up of rocks?_

"Don't act so naïve Slendy, you know what this is. But we don't. Would you care to explain?"

_It's a little something called none of your business._

"Whoa, Slendy has some attitude! So sorry for asking."

"Hold on," I speak up, taking a risk, "Why are the Operator Symbols inside?"

_You went inside?_

"Yup, ya better believe it. Why don't you answer Andrea's question?"

_Personal reasons. Let's go somewhere else._

"Haven't you gotten into people's businesses before? I wouldn't believe you if you said that in all your years of living, you haven't forced yourself in at the very least one person's life."

_Not exactly. But that doesn't matter right now. We won't talk about this._

"Oh really? Why not?"

_Because I said so._

I can literally feel the tension in the air as Heather and Slenderman argue. A small ringing resonates in my ears. There's also something I can't describe, like the feeling of static. It almost feels like when my foot falls asleep, and there are all those little prickles. Except it's my whole body, as if a million microscopic insects were crawling on me. That's the best I can distinguish this. It must be coming from the paranormal man of the woods, who just extended his tentacles to their full length. He looks pissed at Heather, and for a good reason too. I shift my eyes between the two, nervousness setting in. What would happen if he would go all out? He never got angry at me, and I don't know how far his capabilities can go. All of the sudden I feel like I have a runny nose, and when I wipe it with my arm, I see the bright crimson of my blood. My eyes widen in surprise and fear, and I decide right then I need to stop this, because nobody else will.

"Guys! You need to stop this!"

They're not answering me.

"Hey! You really have to stop! Now!"

Nothing. I run in between them.

"STOP!"

They finally listen to me, ceasing their argument. My breaths are quick and short, and my heart thumps in my chest. I look down and see my shirt with splotches of blood. Throughout all this time, my nose has been bleeding, the flow gradually increasing as they continued to fight. My face is covered in sweat, as well as my clenched fists. If this went on, I would probably have an anxiety attack. Why did this scare me so much? I've seen Heather in fights before. Heck, she's the type who loves challenging people and finding ways to tick them off. It's the person she's provoking is what worries me. Slenderman isn't someone who you're supposed to mess with, I could tell in the tone of voice he uses. They stare at my now unkempt appearance. They looked as shocked as I did. My vision fuzzes over for a second, but it clears itself up. Good thing I didn't lose consciousness, though that would affect them even more. Not a peep escapes our mouths, or at least those who have mouths.

There's just the sound of the birds.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: *spongebob narrator voice* Eight days later...**

**Hey hey hey, chappie 15 is up. And guess what... it's over 3K words! Woo! Typing up those long paragraphs.**

**I don't know if you guys actually read this... but whatever:**

**I DO NOT OWN HIM. THE DUDE. THAT GUY. YEAH, HIM. (you know who I'm talking about)**

**I actually read the reviews, so don't think your words go unnoticed. I love every single one of them :)**

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Chapter 15

Slenderman teleported us to my backyard and instantly disappeared to who knows where. Heather and me ran in the house before I remembered about my mother. Seeing as the house was empty, we went directly to the bathroom so I could clean myself up and stop my bloody nose. A couple minutes after the crimson current came to a close, I sat on the rim of my bathtub while Heather leaned on the counter. Now coming into the present, I notice she's biting the inside of her cheek and isn't saying anything. I trace patterns on the smooth while surface of my bathtub while she subconsciously taps her foot. I find myself tracing the Operator's symbol over and over again. I don't know what to say, but I'm going to try to say something anyway.

"So…"

"So."

I need to stop using that approach, it's seriously getting me nowhere. Let me try again.

"What exactly happened?"

"I dunno."

"Why was he getting that mad?"

"Apparently he can't stand anyone knowing a little bit of his life," She says in an accusing tone, "Even though he's totally welcome to peek into ours. Not that he has, right?"

"Um, he kind of did, but I let him."

"What?! So he did look at your life, but he wasn't letting you see his? What's up with him? Geez."

"Well, he hasn't gotten used to talking with other humans, so this must be really new to him. Uncomfortable too."

"Are you defending him? Because he was being a huge hypocrite back there. Fine, he doesn't have to show me, but at the very least he should have shown you."

"I shouldn't be barging in to his business."

"But Andrea, he has a lot of secrets hidden from us, it's like a huge mystery. We have to know what he's hiding from us, whether he likes it or not."

"Why do I get the feeling this won't end up well."

"We're dealing with a legend, a myth, a supernatural creature here. Aren't you curious at all?"

"Yeah, but-"

"No ifs, ands, or buts. It's our duty to find up what's up with this dude, alright?"

"Heather-"

"Don't leave me alone in this investigation. If you're not joining me, then I must embark on this journey alone as the detective of this case."

"It's not that dramatic."

"But in my world, it is. And in my world, I'm the queen, the drama queen. I'm royalty, it's just that not everyone can see it."

As Heather rambles on about being the ruler of her imaginary kingdom, I start thinking about my mother. She wasn't in the house when Heather and me came in. So did she go out to some place? Did she leave a note somewhere? I get up and go downstairs to see if she left any sort of indication to tell me where she went. Heather behind me complains that I'm not paying attention to her grand and important speech. When I take a look in the kitchen, I find a note left on the fridge. I look closely and read my mother's handwriting.

_Andrea,_

_Sorry I had to go without telling you directly, but I left to the supermarket to buy some groceries. I shouldn't take very long. See you later._

_Love Mom :)_

I grin a little when I see my mother's lopsided drawing of a smiley face. Not only that, but also that she took the time to write out her sentences grammatically correct with the punctuation and all. Heather reads from over my shoulder, and recreates a crooked smile of her own. She touches the piece of paper and traces the deep indents of the words. My mother must press deep when she writes, because there are mini mountains and valleys. Heather mumbles something I don't quite catch, and I ask her to repeat what she said. She clears her throat before restating herself.

"My mom would put smiley faces in the notes she left for me too."

"Like this one?"

"Not exactly. She would use lines for the eyes instead of dots. Like this…"

She took a ballpoint pen she found lying around close by and draws a smiley face similar to my mother's, but like this: =)

"Hey, Heather?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you miss your mom a lot?"

"Yup. Of course I'm not crying like a maniac anymore, but even the simplest things remind me of her, like that smiley face."

"How about your dad?"

"I miss the old him, the one who was gentle and gave me hugs and still told me he loved me. Not the slob that replaced him."

"Wouldn't people become suspicious that you're not with your dad anymore?"

"Not really. First of all, most people didn't even know about me because we moved a lot, I started taking classes online instead of going to a public school. And second, he has a good reputation with his buddies and can make them believe whatever lie he spouts out, so I'm definitely gone for good. Not that I want to go back anyways."

"Uh, sorry for asking these really personal questions. Thanks for answering them, by the way."

"Don't stress yourself over it, Andrea. I know a bunch of stuff about your life right now so it's only fair I tell you about mine."

"You're such an awesome friend, you know that?"

"Well of course I do dear, don't you see, this excellence is undeniable."

Heather flips her hair as if she were a snobby chick. I giggle at her silly actions. How did I even get to have her as the awesome friend she is? Without her, I would have been lonely, despite meeting Mary. If my life were a menu, then Heather would be the sample of the craziness spice. No, she's more than just the sample; she's a whole platter, more like a whole course! The whole restaurant! For now, I need to stop with food metaphors or else my stomach would whither away at the intense hunger it's experiencing. Why am I so hungry? Doesn't really matter now, my mother said she was going to get groceries, and she's a heck of a cook. By that I mean she's a five star chef. She should seriously have her own restaurant. Throughout the whole time she hasn't cooked, deep down I really missed it and without a doubt won't take it for granted again.

"Andrea!"

"What's up Heather?"

"I'll race you."

"Race me where?"

"To the woods."

"I don't think that's a g-"

"Ready set go!"

She makes headway out the door and to Slenderman's domain. Basically, the woods, the very place where they had a fight. Is she out of her mind? She might wind up in another argument. But then again, she doesn't give a single crap about things like these. She's Heather. I sigh and begin dashing to the woods. This is a race, isn't it? She's most likely going to win, but whatever. Where's the fun in giving up so easily? I pump my legs, aiming for my maximum potential. If I at least catch up to her, I'll feel accomplished. Soon I see the school not do far from me, and my eye catches the small figure that is Heather speeding to the forest. Just a little faster and I may reach where she is. I don't just inhale, I suck in all the oxygen in my breathing space, and I don't just exhale, I blow and create a windstorm. Aggressively breathing, I look at the ground beneath my feet as I zoom ahead, feeling adrenaline spreading out in my veins. I feel like the fastest person in the world. When I look back up, a grin splits my face when I see that Heather is much closer. I give it my all, and with the last bit of my strength, I catch up and we're now running side by side. When she glances at me darting along with her, she had a face of astonishment. She didn't expect me to have a chance, and I proved her wrong.

"What the- how are you even- what?!"

"Tsk, tsk. C'mon Heather, you're going to have to try harder than that if you want to win."

"But I had a major lead! Like, a head start!"

"Sucks to suck! Maybe you'll think twice before cheating and maybe karma would be nicer to you."

"You little… argh! Come here!"

She extends her arms in an attempt to stop me, but I'm unstoppable. I sprint to my destination at the speed of light. I can hear Heather yelling behind me, spitting out profanity. I laugh even though my chest hurts, and my lungs are about to explode. I close my eyes for a second, and when I open them again, the trees are right in front of me. I swerve to dodge them and jump over rocks in my way. I give out another laugh when I just notice that I won. I still run though, as if my destination isn't just the outer edge of the woods, but somewhere inside. I easily lose myself in the setting passing by the variety of plants. Trees, leaves, rocks, ferns, moss, twigs, flowers, sprouts… the very essence of nature surrounds me.

_Hello._

"Hey," I greet, slowing down, "Nice to see you again."

…_Is that sarcasm?_

"What? No, why would it be?"

_Sorry for what happened back there._

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't your fault anyway."

_It was, I shouldn't have exerted my powers like that._

"It's not like you could help it. It was just a bloody nose anyway, nothing big."

_Thank you._

I cracked at the last word because I was out of breath. Man, running this much can really tire me. Wait, where's Heather? Maybe she got lost or something. I ran way ahead of her, so I have no way of knowing where could she be. I'm just going to hope she doesn't get herself in trouble. As if that's possible. I bend and place my hands on my knees as I calm my rough breathing. I can see from the corner of my eyes that Slenderman is observing my exhausted form.

_Why were you running?_

"I was racing Heather."

_Did you win?_

"Yeah! I was behind but I zoomed way ahead of her! Though now I feel like I have asthma. I lost her too."

_I can bring you to her if you want to._

"Hold on, how do you know where she is?"

_I have my ways._

"I'm pretty sure this isn't one of those things that you need to hide from me."

_Fine… I'll tell you._

"I'm not forcing you or anything. If you're uncomfortable, you don't have to tell me."

_No, it's okay._

"Okay."

_Humans radiate with these waves that I can sense. It's like your sense of sight or hearing. Except it's one of my normal senses. I can sense the auras of animals too, but they're weaker._

"That's awesome. So you can sense mine right now?"

_Yes._

"How's it like?"

_What do you mean?_

"Um, I don't know how auras look like or feel or whatever. But, can you describe them?"

_It would be easier to explain if you had the same sense._

"So they vary from person to person."

_Yes. You could say it's like the essence if their soul. It shows their characteristics and feelings. _

"Why do you have to the mind reading thing, then?"

_The aura doesn't reveal much of their intentions. For example, it may show that the person is courageous, but both evil and good people can be courageous. Same goes for feelings._

"Oh, I get it. What does mine say?"

_Yours shows that you are naïve, observational, and cheerful. Not to mention you're curious, perhaps you ask a lot of questions. Which you do, at least in my experience._

"Wait, go back to that one word. Naïve, was it? Psh, I'm not naïve."

_You are._

"Nuh uh!"

_I should just use my extra telekinesis power and move you to that rock to prove my point._

"How would your power even prove it? Doesn't make any sense."

_Exactly. You instantly believed me. I have no extra telekinesis power._

"W-what?! That's cheating. Injustices aren't tolerated by The Rules Of The Universe!"

_You're just too naïve. Maybe your rules are made especially for people like you._

"What do you mean by that? People like me? Excuse me, but I'm a special person."

_Indeed._

"That right there was a sarcastic tone! You bully."

_If I'm a bully, I can't imagine what that Heather girl would be._

"Oh right! I totally forgot about her! In such a bad friend."

_You're the bad friend?_

"Geez, why do you hate Heather so much?"

_I don't hate her; she's just very annoying. It's difficult to be cheery with someone who does nothing but agitate. _

"You're not even the cheery type. You're more of a lonely grumpy type. And a sophisticated one at that."

_Are you referring to my attire?_

"Not only that, but the way you talk. You can just say 'you mean my clothes?' instead of 'art thou referrest to my attire?'"

_I didn't say it like that._

"You're missing my point here. I'm not saying you speak old English, it's the formal way you talk."

_Does it bother you so?_

"Well, not really. In fact, I find it kind of funny."

_You find my speech amusing?_

"Yeah. It reminds me of my dad."

_I will take that as a compliment._

"You better. If I compare you with my dad in any way, that's saying something."

_I'll keep that in mind._

"So… let's go to Heather."

_Okay._

"But wait! Before you go there, I'm going to try to scare her."

_I don't believe you can do that._

"Thank you so much for supporting me."

_If I couldn't scare her, then you can't._

"But this would be better planned out. You can even help me."

_I will just teleport you there, but that's it._

"How about… you teleport me on a branch of a tree right next to her. Higher than her line of sight, but not too high. Then, I'll jump over her and maybe scream, and that way I'll definitely scare the crap out of her!"

_Don't you have quite the eccentric mind. I can do that, but you're on your own with your little mission._

"Alrighty-o, let's do this, yo!"

_What's that even supposed to mean?_

"I'm just saying let's go. Nothing too complicated."

_I didn't even send anything to you._

"Ha! Andrea the psycho psychic strikes again!"

…_I'll just take you there now._

"Ok."

He uses his extraterrestrial abilities to bring me to Heather's location. Heather is crouched on the ground, blocking me from seeing what exactly is she doing. Slenderman takes out his obsidian tendrils and moves me on a branch behind Heather, and a bit high as I requested. I steady myself when his tentacles release their hold on me, balancing myself on the branch. I shuffle myself in a positron closer to my unsuspecting friend, keeping my hand on the trunk of the tree to support me. I bend my knees slightly in preparation to spring myself. When I was about to go in action, Heather just starts cracking up out of nowhere. She rolls around on the earth, getting a red leaf stuck in her hair, contrasting with the blond pigment.

"I can't hold it in anymore!" Heather giggles, "Andrea, no offense my good friend, but you're so bad at being sneaky!"

"Huh?!" I shout, "That's not legit! I'm supposed to be invisible!"

"Invisible, yes. Inaudible, NOPE!"

"I wasn't that loud."

"SNAP CRACKLE POP!"

"You're exaggerating."

"Negative, m'am."

"Whatever."

"Where's Mr. Sophisticated Slendy Sir?"

"Uh, I don't know. He just dropped me off here."

"SLENDY! BAE~! WHERE YOU AT?!"

"He won't answ-"

"Shh! SSSLLLEEENN-"

_What do you want you insolent human?!_

Slenderman arrives along with his grumpy I-hate-the-world attitude. Heather puts on a face of pure happiness, the exact opposite of how Slenderman feels. She prances about, saying how much she missed him and how they shouldn't fight anymore. Something about making a treaty or an alliance or something. Slenderman's head tilts at various angles, following Heather's frantic movements. She makes exaggerated hand gestures to make whatever idea she's trying to demonstrate be clear. I'm not even paying attention to what they're saying, just the hilarious image of their interaction.

I can imagine myself ten years from now, remembering the funny times we had together, including this scene. I have no idea if this close knitted group would still be together a decade in the future. I hope so, but life just throws the most random surprises, it's bothersome. But in the moment right now, it's so heart warming to think back to memories like these. It makes me grin from ear to ear.

But when I take a second look at the scene, I compare Slenderman with my father once again. Not only that, but I compare Heather with me. And just like that, the comical display becomes a cherished reenactment of my father and me. A familiar memory comes up when I was little, and my father just gave me a princess kit for my birthday. It had stuff like a tiara and a wand and all kind of girly stuff. I had put on the pink plastic crown, dancing around my father, who had a makeshift crown of his own. He was supposed to be the king and I was the princess. He took my hand and kissed it, being the gentlemanly father he was. I look at my hand in the present, tracing over the knuckles, the nostalgia washing over me. The same hand that waved the matching pink plastic magic wand.

Abra cadabra, my smile disappears.


End file.
